News – Proportional Representation Society of Australia

2012-11

Tasmanian Councils

See the PRSAV-T Inc. submission on Government changes proposed for local government in Tasmania.

2012-10

Election technology

Timely article on US experiments in election technology by Dr Vanessa Teague of the University of Melbourne. See also “Electronic Voting” on Wikipedia.

2012-09

Free seminar

For candidates and supporters on Election Campaigning in multi-councillor wards in Victoria’s 2012 Council Polls – 19 September 2012 at 8 p.m. – email info@prsa.org.au or telephone 0429 176 725 for details of the Melbourne venue.

2012-07

JSCEM

PRSA submission to federal Joint Select Committee on Electoral Matters putting the case for constructive reforms such as optional preferential voting for below-the-line Senate voters, rather than restrictive measures like larger deposits.

2012-05

Vale

Maurie Fabrikant, PRSAV-T Inc. Treasurer 2004-11, who was also an Accredited PR Vote-counting Officer, died on 2012-05-16, and is sadly missed.

2012-04

Finally gone

Australia’s last provision for use of the undemocratic multiple majority-preferential electoral system, which was replaced for Senate elections in 1948, was removed when the NSW Local Government Amendment Act 2012 received Royal Assent on 2012-04-04.

Future elections in two-councillor Council wards will now be counted by proportional representation using the single transferable vlote, which is the counting system used for most NSW municipalities.

2012-01

Countback

Full details of countback elections to fill municipal casual vacancies in Victoria pleasingly began to appear on the VEC website for the first countback for a Melbourne City Council seat, which was conducted on 2011-07-19. Since then at least two more, for Benalla Rural City Council and Moreland City Council, have appeared with distribution sheets available.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission has a more accessible arrangement, with a hyperlink for all countbacks, but it is now confusingly calling them “recounts” although the distinctive term “countback”, which refers to a recount of ballots for the specific purpose of filling casual vacancies, originated in Tasmania.

2012-11	Tasmanian Councils See the PRSAV-T Inc. submission on Government changes proposed for local government in Tasmania.
2012-10	Election technology Timely article on US experiments in election technology by Dr Vanessa Teague of the University of Melbourne. See also “Electronic Voting” on Wikipedia.
2012-09	Free seminar For candidates and supporters on Election Campaigning in multi-councillor wards in Victoria’s 2012 Council Polls – 19 September 2012 at 8 p.m. – email info@prsa.org.au or telephone 0429 176 725 for details of the Melbourne venue.
2012-07	JSCEM PRSA submission to federal Joint Select Committee on Electoral Matters putting the case for constructive reforms such as optional preferential voting for below-the-line Senate voters, rather than restrictive measures like larger deposits.
2012-05	Vale Maurie Fabrikant, PRSAV-T Inc. Treasurer 2004-11, who was also an Accredited PR Vote-counting Officer, died on 2012-05-16, and is sadly missed.
2012-04	Finally gone Australia’s last provision for use of the undemocratic multiple majority-preferential electoral system, which was replaced for Senate elections in 1948, was removed when the NSW Local Government Amendment Act 2012 received Royal Assent on 2012-04-04. Future elections in two-councillor Council wards will now be counted by proportional representation using the single transferable vlote, which is the counting system used for most NSW municipalities.
2012-01	Countback Full details of countback elections to fill municipal casual vacancies in Victoria pleasingly began to appear on the VEC website for the first countback for a Melbourne City Council seat, which was conducted on 2011-07-19. Since then at least two more, for Benalla Rural City Council and Moreland City Council, have appeared with distribution sheets available. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission has a more accessible arrangement, with a hyperlink for all countbacks, but it is now confusingly calling them “recounts” although the distinctive term “countback”, which refers to a recount of ballots for the specific purpose of filling casual vacancies, originated in Tasmania.

2012 News