Should group voting tickets, which let a party decide an above-the-line voter's preferences, end from 2026, with the eight upper house regions unchanged?
Abolishing group voting tickets
Council only · 2 votes
Background
In Legislative Council (upper house) elections, voting "above the line" means voting for a party rather than for individual candidates. Until 2026, a "1" above the line sent a voter's preferences according to a ticket lodged by that party. The Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026 abolished these group voting tickets: voters are now asked to number at least five boxes above the line or five candidates below it (votes with fewer numbers can still count). It did not change the upper house's structure of eight regions that each elect five members, which would need a referendum; several crossbench parties said ending the tickets without changing that structure would shut out minor parties.
What each side said
Summarised from the debate in Parliament, with sources below.
For “agree”
Supporters said group voting tickets let parties and paid "preference whisperers" elect candidates with tiny vote shares, and voters should control their own preferences: "This bill will end group voting and make Victoria’s voting system more democratic" (Sarah Mansfield, Greens, Council). The Government, Coalition and One Nation also supported it.
For “disagree”
Legalise Cannabis, Animal Justice and the Libertarian said they supported ending the tickets, but not without first reforming the eight-region structure and its high quotas, which they said would shut out minor parties and independents: "This reform is self-serving and motivated by all the wrong reasons" (Rachel Payne, Legalise Cannabis). The Shooters defended the existing system as designed "to allow a wider representation of community" and sought to delay the start until after the 2026 election (Jeff Bourman).
How the parties voted
Across the linked votes below. Second and third readings count five times as much as other votes. Parties are in alphabetical order. How this is worked out
| Party | Record | Votes with a party position |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice | Consistently against | 2 of 2 |
| Greens | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| Labor | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| Legalise Cannabis | Consistently against | 2 of 2 |
| Liberal | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| Libertarian | Consistently against | 2 of 2 |
| Nationals | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| One Nation | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | Consistently against | 2 of 2 |
The votes behind this question
Each vote (division) recorded in Parliament that this question is based on, in date order.
11 August 2026 · Legislative Council
Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026
- Question put
- 13 ELECTORAL AMENDMENT (MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS) BILL 2026 — Debate resumed on the question, That the Bill be now read a second time.
- Result
- Question agreed to. Ayes 33, Noes 5.
- Matches “agree”
- An Aye vote
- Weight
- Strong: a second or third reading, counted five times
- Why it's linked
- Second reading (Council). Aye = support the bill; agree = Aye.
| Party | Aye | No | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice | 0 | 1 | No |
| Greens | 4 | 0 | Aye |
| Labor | 15 | 0 | Aye |
| Legalise Cannabis | 0 | 2 | No |
| Liberal | 11 | 0 | Aye |
| Libertarian | 0 | 1 | No |
| Nationals | 2 | 0 | Aye |
| One Nation | 1 | 0 | Aye |
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | 0 | 1 | No |
Every name (Ayes 33, Noes 5) in the vote of 11 August 2026
Ayes (33)
Ryan Batchelor, Melina Bath, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Gaelle Broad, Katherine Copsey, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Enver Erdogan, Jacinta Ermacora, Michael Galea, Anasina Gray-Barberio, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Shaun Leane, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Sarah Mansfield, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nick McGowan, Tom McIntosh, Evan Mulholland, Aiv Puglielli, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Sheena Watt, Richard Welch
Noes (5)
Jeff Bourman, David Ettershank, David Limbrick, Rachel Payne, Georgie Purcell
Official record: Minutes of the Proceedings No. 176 (LC-60-176-01)
11 August 2026 · Legislative Council
Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026
- Question put
- Ingrid Stitt moved, That the Bill be now read a third time and do pass.
- Result
- Question agreed to. Ayes 33, Noes 4.
- Matches “agree”
- An Aye vote
- Weight
- Strong: a second or third reading, counted five times
- Why it's linked
- Third reading (Council). Aye = support the bill; agree = Aye.
| Party | Aye | No | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice | 0 | 1 | No |
| Greens | 4 | 0 | Aye |
| Labor | 15 | 0 | Aye |
| Legalise Cannabis | 0 | 1 | No |
| Liberal | 11 | 0 | Aye |
| Libertarian | 0 | 1 | No |
| Nationals | 2 | 0 | Aye |
| One Nation | 1 | 0 | Aye |
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | 0 | 1 | No |
Every name (Ayes 33, Noes 4) in the vote of 11 August 2026
Ayes (33)
Ryan Batchelor, Melina Bath, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Gaelle Broad, Katherine Copsey, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Enver Erdogan, Jacinta Ermacora, Michael Galea, Anasina Gray-Barberio, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Shaun Leane, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Sarah Mansfield, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nick McGowan, Tom McIntosh, Evan Mulholland, Aiv Puglielli, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Sheena Watt, Richard Welch
Noes (4)
Jeff Bourman, David Limbrick, Rachel Payne, Georgie Purcell
Official record: Minutes of the Proceedings No. 176 (LC-60-176-02)
Sources
- EM
- Second reading (Anthony Carbines (second reading speech incorporated; statements of Charter and Treaty compatibility), 2026-07-29)
- Opposition (James Newbury (lead opposition speaker, Assembly), 2026-07-29)
- Crossbench (Tim Read, Greens (not in current members JSON; mapped as Greens in scripts/analyse.py FORMER list))
- Crossbench (Sarah Mansfield, The Australian Greens - Victoria)
- News: ABC News (2026-06-06); The Conversation (2022-12-14)
- Full list: Sources tab (19 items).
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