In short:
The State Government has introduced legislation to abolish group voting tickets. If passed, Victorian voters would direct their own upper house preferences instead of political parties.
Major Overhaul On The Agenda
Victoria’s upper house voting system is set for a significant overhaul, with the State Government introducing legislation to abolish group voting tickets ahead of the 2026 state election.
The Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026, introduced to Parliament this week, would end the use of group voting tickets, where political parties decide how preferences are distributed once a voter places a single “1” above the line.
Instead, voters would be required to number at least five groups above the line in order of preference.
Those preferences would then flow to candidates in the order they appear on each party’s ticket, giving voters direct control over where their vote is allocated.
Proposed Reforms Target Complex Deals
The Victorian Government says the reforms will eliminate so-called “preference whispering” – a practice where parties negotiate complex preference deals that can help candidates secure upper house seats despite receiving only a small share of the primary vote.
Supporters argue the changes will make elections more transparent, ensure voters decide where their preferences go rather than political parties, reduce backroom preference deals and bring Victoria’s voting system into line with other Australian jurisdictions that have already abolished group voting tickets.
The legislation also proposes requiring the Victorian Electoral Commission to publish information about newly registered political parties, giving voters greater insight into who is behind a party before casting their ballot.
However, critics of the reforms may argue the changes could make voting more complicated by requiring voters to number multiple boxes above the line instead of simply selecting one party.
Move Could Change The Fabric Of Elections
Some may also contend that preference negotiations are a legitimate part of Australia’s preferential voting system and can help smaller parties remain competitive against the major parties.
Others may argue that directing preferences themselves is more time-consuming for voters who previously preferred parties to make those decisions on their behalf.
If passed, the reforms would represent one of the biggest changes to Victoria’s upper house voting system in nearly two decades, shifting responsibility for preference flows from political parties directly to voters.
The Bill will now be debated in the Victorian Parliament.
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