In a true democracy, voters, and not political parties, should be able to choose where preferences go. More than 95% of Western Australian voters choose to vote above the line, creating a strong incentive for parties to engage in preference deals. This has led to micro parties with diametrically opposing views preferencing each other in a dodgy process known as “preference harvesting” and being elected on less than 1% of the primary vote. The preference system should be in line with voter expectation: that if their chosen party does not achieve enough first preference votes, their vote will be allocated to the next party, whose views most closely resemble their own.
Alison’s Electoral Amendment (Ticket Voting and Associated Reforms) Bill 2019, which is currently before the Parliament awaiting debate, will enable voters to more easily indicate their preferences at the party level.
The Greens support the One Vote One Value principle.