Federal Election November 2020 #Selstvillevotes

It's that time of the year again! We are less than a day from the federal election. So first time voter or completely clueless about our election system, here's a simple FAQ:

1. What is the federal election?
It is where citizens elect their Federal House of Representatives and about half the Senate.

2. How often is the federal election?
The constitution says that a federal election must be held once within 12 months from the previous federal election. The PM calls for an election around here and no PM has ever waited for that 12 month limit. The longest term would be 6 months, from May 2019-November 2019. Recently, the average term lasts about 4 months

3.Who can vote?
You must be at least 18 and a citizen. Upon reaching 18, you will be added into the electors roll. Only names from this roll can vote in federal elections.

4. Is voting compulsory?
Yes. If you are eligible and registered to vote but did not vote, you will face a civil penalty of a fine and get your name off the electors roll until that fine is paid.
There are exceptions, if you are:
- sick and not feeling well
- incapable of making decisions for yourself
- in prison serving a term of over 3 years
- overseas or living overseas
You can exclude yourself from voting and be added back to the electors roll without paying a fine.

5. Where can I vote?
By now, early voting has closed so your only choice would be the polling station on your vote card between 8am to 6pm If you cannot make it to your polling station, you can head to the nearest polling station and ask to speak to the station supervisor or assistant returning officer. If you are overseas, your nearest embassy is your polling station. Do note some overseas polling stations have closed as time is needed for ballots to be transported back to Selstville.
As for how to vote, follow the instructions on the ballot paper or ask a volunteer to help you out. The volunteer would inform you on how to cast a vote but they will not tell you how to vote or who you should vote for. If you have a disability, the polling volunteers will be able to help you. If you make a mistake, you can request for a new ballot paper.

6. What is the election method?
For the House of Representatives, it is a hybrid of first past the post and preferential voting.
For the Senate, it is a Single-Transferable Vote, proportional representation system.

7. How many seats are up for elections?
All 160 seats in the House of representatives are up for grabs, this number has not changed since the July election. 50 out of the 80 seats from the Northern Selstville Senators will be up for election.

8. When and where can I expect the results?
Most of the Southern region will be the first to start announcing results as they are in the +12 GMT zone (an hour ahead of Beaufort). This is about 30 House of Representative MPs. This is an important region, the 30 seats have determined the course of elections in the past. For example, in January, the Labor party gained all 30 seats, resulting in the Liberals to scrape back into government with a coalition deal with the Conservatives. Even then, they worked with a razor thin majority. In July, the Liberal-Conservative coalition won about 2/3 of the 30 seats back, and they went in with a comfortable majority. After which, the rest of the South and the Northern regions (including Beaufort) will start calling results. Counting starts immediately at 6pm, with a clear winner by Sunday night.

9. Who forms Government?
Only 2 party can do so alone--Liberals and Labor. A party must secure 81 out of the 160 seats in the House of Representatives to form government. If no parties reach that number, then coalition talks will start between parties.

10. Who becomes PM?
The leader of the party or coalition who forms government will be invited to be PM by the Governor General.

And that's all for this Election Eve edition. Have fun!
#selstvillevotes