Editing Elections in Australia (section)

==Parliaments==
Voting for the federal and each state and territory parliament is compulsory for Australian citizens over the age of 18.<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|cea1918233|Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918|93}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|cea1918233|Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918|245}}</ref>

===Federal Parliament===
{{See also|Parliament of Australia}}
The Australian Parliament consists of [[bicameralism|two chambers]] (known as a bicameral Parliament), the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] (commonly also referred as the [[lower house]]) and the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] (also referred as the [[upper house]]). The House of Representatives has 150 members, elected for a maximum term of three years in single-member [[constituency|constituencies]] (each approximately equal in voters). Elections are conducted by a system of [[preferential voting]] (also called alternative voting or [[instant-runoff voting]]).<ref name="ahp" />

The Senate has 76 senators, elected through a preferential system of [[proportional representation]] with a system of [[single transferable vote]], with each state constituting a single [[constituency]] normally returning 6 senators every three years and each territory constituting a single constituency returning two senators. Electors in the two territories elect senators for non-fixed terms that are defined by the term of the House of Representatives. State senators normally serve fixed six-year terms, with half of the seats in each State expiring every three years. In the event of a [[double dissolution]], the terms of all the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives seats end immediately.

=== State Parliaments and Territory Legislative Assemblies ===
{{See also|Parliaments of the Australian states and territories}}

==== South Australia ====
The [[Parliament of South Australia]] is a bicameral legislature. The [[South Australian House of Assembly|House of Assembly]] (lower house) comprises 47 members elected by full preferential voting every 4 years from single member electorates. The [[South Australian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]] (upper house) comprises 22 members elected by proportional representation of single transferable vote every 8 years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/About-Parliament/System-of-Government#:~:text=The%20Parliament%20of%20South%20Australia,to%20the%20Queen%20of%20England. |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=parliament.sa.gov.au |title=System of Government |archive-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507111316/https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/About-Parliament/System-of-Government#:~:text=The%20Parliament%20of%20South%20Australia,to%20the%20Queen%20of%20England. |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/House-of-Assembly/House-of-Assembly-Home |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=parliament.sa.gov.au |title=House of Assembly |archive-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507111313/https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/House-of-Assembly/House-of-Assembly-Home |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/Legislative-Council/Legislative-Council-Home |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=parliament.sa.gov.au |title=Legislative Council |archive-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507111315/https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/Legislative-Council/Legislative-Council-Home |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Queensland ====
The [[Parliament of Queensland]] is unicameral, consisting of the [[Legislative Assembly of Queensland|Legislative Assembly]] of 93 members elected for a 4 year term from single member electorates using [[Optional preferential voting|full preferential voting]].

==== Western Australia ====
The [[Parliament of Western Australia]] consists of the [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly has 57 members elected for a four-year term, unless dissolved earlier, from single member electorates using fully preferential voting. The Legislative Council has 37 members elected for a fixed term of 4 years, in a 'whole of state' electorate using preferential proportional representation.