What's this I hear about voting reform?
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The Turnbull government introduced a bill to the lower house on Monday to change the way senators get elected.
It will introduce "optional preferential voting" for those who vote "above the line". This means voters will be advised on the ballot paper to number at least six boxes.
The reforms will also abolish group voting tickets (where parties lodge a predetermined preference order with the Australian Electoral Commission). This means voters will now control where their preferences go, not parties.
The government says this will "reduce the complexity" of Senate voting and "improve transparency" around how preferences are allocated.
How do you vote in the Senate at the moment?
If you vote "above the line" - where boxes are reserved for parties or groups of candidates - you simply put a "1" next to your first and only preference.
This means the order of your preferences after this is determined by the party or group in that single box.
If you vote "below the line", you have to fill out every box below the line. This can be democratically fulfilling, but time-consuming, given the number of candidates (110 in NSW in 2013 with 97 in Victoria and 82 in Queensland).
Needless to say the vast majority of voters - about 97 per cent - vote above the line.
Won't all this change be confusing on election day?
The AEC will conduct a "pre-election awareness raising" campaign.
There will also be a "savings provision", where a vote will still be considered formal (able to be counted) if a voter numbers less than six above the line.
It will still considered OK if they just number "1".
Where did this reform idea come from?
It is inspired by a parliamentary committee report which reviewed the 2013 federal election.
There has been much disquiet beyond this, however, given some senators were elected with tiny fractions of the vote, thanks to "preference whisperers" who were able to group smaller parties together and "game" the system.
Exhibit: Ricky Muir who surprised everyone (most of all himself) by getting elected with just 0.5 per cent of the vote in Victoria.
Will this pass Parliament?
Yes. Labor is still to form an official position, but it doesn't matter either way, as the government has the numbers in the Senate with the support of the Greens and independent Senator Nick Xenophon.
Some Labor MPs hate the idea, however. And some smaller parties - like say, David Leyonhjelm's Liberal Democratic Party - are vehemently opposed (for obvious reasons).
It seems like there's a bit of a rush here ...
There will be a quick parliamentary inquiry on the bill, which will report back by March 2.
The government wants this reform done, dusted and legislated by the time Parliament rises for the budget break on March 17. This gives Malcolm Turnbull the option of calling a double dissolution by May 11.
The government also says the AEC needs about three months to implement the changes (which would allow time for a standard August/September/October election).
Is voting still compulsory?
Yes.
What impact will this have on the election day sausage sizzle at my local primary school?
Likely none. Unless it is has been running as a micro party.
