Australian House of Representatives elections use full-preferential voting: voters number every box. If no candidate has more than half the first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest is excluded and their ballots pass to each voter’s next preference, repeating until someone has more than half. Practical lesson: rank the candidate you most want to win first and the one you most want to lose last.
Vince CONNELLY (Liberal) won Stirling in 2019 with 48,289 of the 86,779 votes in the final count, beating Melita MARKEY (Australian Labor Party) by 9,799 votes (55.6% to 44.4%). Connelly led on first preferences with 47.0% of 86,779 formal votes and passed the 43,390-vote majority at count 4.
86,779 formal votes7 candidates5 counts9,799-vote final margin
Each column is a count. Bar height = votes held; the candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and their votes flow to the others. Hover or tap a candidate to highlight their flows.
What happened, count by count
Initially 86,779 first-preference votes were counted. The candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and their votes pass to the voters' next preference, and so on until two remain.
On count 1, Kevin HOST (Australian Christians) was excluded; their 1,504 votes were distributed: 741 (49.3%) to Vince CONNELLY; 255 (17.0%) to Elizabeth RE; 210 (14.0%) to Melita MARKEY; 125 (8.3%) to Angus YOUNG and 2 more.
On count 2, Dorothy HUTTON (United Australia Party) was excluded; their 1,655 votes were distributed: 548 (33.1%) to Vince CONNELLY; 474 (28.6%) to Angus YOUNG; 236 (14.3%) to Elizabeth RE; 231 (14.0%) to Judith CULLITY and 1 more.
On count 3, Elizabeth RE (WESTERN AUSTRALIA PARTY) was excluded; their 2,241 votes were distributed: 692 (30.9%) to Vince CONNELLY; 571 (25.5%) to Judith CULLITY; 553 (24.7%) to Melita MARKEY; 425 (19.0%) to Angus YOUNG.
On count 4, Angus YOUNG (Pauline Hanson's One Nation) was excluded; their 4,153 votes were distributed: 1,761 (42.4%) to Vince CONNELLY; 1,570 (37.8%) to Judith CULLITY; 822 (19.8%) to Melita MARKEY.
On count 5, Judith CULLITY (The Greens (WA)) was excluded; their 12,906 votes were distributed: 9,116 (70.6%) to Melita MARKEY; 3,790 (29.4%) to Vince CONNELLY.
Finally, Vince CONNELLY (Liberal) won with 48,289 votes to 38,490 for Melita MARKEY (Australian Labor Party).
Where the preferences went
Stirling 2019: where each excluded candidate’s votes went
Count
Excluded
Votes distributed
Passed to
1
Kevin HOSTAustralian Christians
1,504
Vince CONNELLY (LP): 741 (49.3%)
Elizabeth RE (WAP): 255 (17.0%)
Melita MARKEY (ALP): 210 (14.0%)
Angus YOUNG (ON): 125 (8.3%)
Judith CULLITY (GRN): 95 (6.3%)
Dorothy HUTTON (UAPP): 78 (5.2%)
2
Dorothy HUTTONUnited Australia Party
1,655
Vince CONNELLY (LP): 548 (33.1%)
Angus YOUNG (ON): 474 (28.6%)
Elizabeth RE (WAP): 236 (14.3%)
Judith CULLITY (GRN): 231 (14.0%)
Melita MARKEY (ALP): 166 (10.0%)
3
Elizabeth REWESTERN AUSTRALIA PARTY
2,241
Vince CONNELLY (LP): 692 (30.9%)
Judith CULLITY (GRN): 571 (25.5%)
Melita MARKEY (ALP): 553 (24.7%)
Angus YOUNG (ON): 425 (19.0%)
4
Angus YOUNGPauline Hanson's One Nation
4,153
Vince CONNELLY (LP): 1,761 (42.4%)
Judith CULLITY (GRN): 1,570 (37.8%)
Melita MARKEY (ALP): 822 (19.8%)
5
Judith CULLITYThe Greens (WA)
12,906
Melita MARKEY (ALP): 9,116 (70.6%)
Vince CONNELLY (LP): 3,790 (29.4%)
Votes after every count
Stirling 2019: votes held by each candidate after every count (– = excluded)
Candidate
First prefs
Count 1
Count 2
Count 3
Count 4
Count 5
Vince CONNELLYLiberal · elected
40,757
41,498
42,046
42,738
44,499
48,289
Melita MARKEYAustralian Labor Party
27,623
27,833
27,999
28,552
29,374
38,490
Judith CULLITYThe Greens (WA)
10,439
10,534
10,765
11,336
12,906
–
Angus YOUNGPauline Hanson's One Nation
3,129
3,254
3,728
4,153
–
–
Elizabeth REWESTERN AUSTRALIA PARTY
1,750
2,005
2,241
–
–
–
Dorothy HUTTONUnited Australia Party
1,577
1,655
–
–
–
–
Kevin HOSTAustralian Christians
1,504
–
–
–
–
–
About this page
Australian House of Representatives elections use full-preferential voting: voters number every box. If no candidate has more than half the first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest is excluded and their ballots pass to each voter’s next preference, repeating until someone has more than half. Practical lesson: rank the candidate you most want to win first and the one you most want to lose last.
