Australia pioneered reforms that underpin the electoral practices of modern democracies. In 1855 Victoria introduced the secret ballot, which became known throughout the world as 'the Australian ballot'. In the 1890s the colonies adopted the principle of one vote per person, stopping the practice of plural voting. When Australian citizens vote for the House of Representatives they must indicate a numbered order of preference for all candidates on the ballot. For the Senate, voter preferences are allocated under a system of proportional representation.
Voting is compulsory in Australia.
This has been seen as complementary to the demands that the preferential system makes on voters, and underlines how Australians regard elections as an essential source of legitimacy for governments. House of Representatives Members of the Australian House of Representatives are called MPs, for Members of Parliament. The House of Representatives has single-member seats. All its members face the voters at the same time. A candidate must receive preferences from more than half the voters in an electorate to win.