On the topic of the Victorian results – I’m very happy that Richard Di Natale for the Greens obtained a quota on primary votes. Great result for the Greens.

It’s well worth a read, and you’ve convinced me that the current method is flawed and should be fixed.

What is of concern is the method used in counting the Surplus transfer value. The formula used is the value of the surplus divided by the number o0f Ballot Papers. Antony Greens Calculator is misleading in that it refers to “raw votes” which should rad ballot papers and “vote” which should read total value of votes.

If you look at the NSW Senate the LNO ticket vote increases in value as the count progresses and the system delivers the LNP a bonus 10,000 votes (Value) above its true value. The reason is simple. They LNP 3rd Candidate has over 1.3 Million ballot papers with representing less then 46% of the surplus whilst minor party votes with 500,00 votes represent over 54%. However when they are transferred out the LNP ticket vote carries over 76% of the Surplus value.

The way the AERC allocate teh surplus is akin to having three shareholders one with 60% shareholding and two with 20% each. When paying out any dividends the company pays each shareholder 33.3333% of the progits not 60/20/20

A 10,000 vote bonus could readily deliver the seat to the wrong candidate.

The other issue of concern is in the order and segnentaion of excluded candidate votes. If a Candidate is excluded then the votes should be redistributed according to the voters express preference as if the candidate excluded had not stood. The best way to achieve this is to reset and restart the count using a reiterative counting system on every exclusion. The process of iteration continuing until all vacant positions are elected through the distribution of surplus votes in a single iteration. One transaction per candidate.

The method of segmentation and distribution from the bottom of the deck resulted in the wrong Candidate being elected to the sixth position in Queensland in 2007

If you recount the Queensland 2007 Senate vote excluding all candidates except the last seven standing (3 ALP, 3 LNP and 1 GRN) then Larissa Waters should have been elected.

The flaws in the Senate counting system needs to be fixed. If we can not have an accurate counting system then we might as well have a party list system and do away with preferential voting.

Bob day has come from well behind to overtake that Liberals which was well discussed during the preference deals on who would go where.

The General idea was that FF had their best chance in SA.
The real winners are the voters though and with all the tight tussles between like minded candidates there is no doubt that proportional representation works.