Preferences
No preference deals on my watch
Where do I stand on preferences?
As a Community Independent, I’m running on a platform of integrity, transparency, and respect for voters’ ability to make informed decisions.
This means that it is important that I am transparent about my values and policies, and also that I have respect for your ability to make your own informed decisions.
I am not making preference deals with other parties and hold fast to the belief that every voter should decide for themselves. I hope that you will consider me for your no. 1 vote, and then number the remaining candidates according to who next best represents your values, making sure that you put a number all the remaining boxes.
As I explained in a recent radio interview:
“I can’t in good conscience tell anyone how to vote. That’s the whole reason I’m running – to encourage informed, values-based voting. I’m not here to do backroom deals. If elected, every vote I cast in Parliament will be a conscious vote, based on what’s right for the community – not party politics.”
I’m not here to do backroom deals. If elected, every vote I cast in Parliament will be a conscious vote, based on what’s right for the community.
So in short: No preference deals. No party pressure. Just genuine, independent representation.
→ Centre for Climate Safety has published #PutClimateFirst how to vote cards, and they suggest to vote 1 Kate Lockhart.
How do preferences work?
There’s often confusion around how preferences work at election time – and some parties like to pretend they control where your vote goes. But here’s the truth:
Only you control your preferences.
Parties may hand out How To Vote cards at polling booths to suggest how you should number the boxes – but those are just that: suggestions. You can – and should – number the candidates in the order you prefer. Your vote is entirely in your hands.
As the ABC’s 2022 preference flow graphic shows, preferences generally follow ideological lines. For example, most Greens voters tend to prefer Labor over the Coalition, while most One Nation and United Australia Party voters tend to favour the Liberals.
Voters are in control
Let’s look at what happened in Corangamite in the 2022 federal election:
- Labor’s candidate, Libby Coker, received 38.2% of first preference votes.
- The Liberal candidate received 34.1%.
- The Greens’ candidate received around 15%, which wasn’t enough to stay in the final count – so their votes were redistributed.
Because 90% of Greens voters had placed Labor higher than the Liberals, their preferences flowed to Labor. The remaining 10% flowed to the Liberals.
Had it been the other way around – with most Greens voters preferencing the Liberals – the final election outcome could have been very different.
But here’s the key point: this happened because of how voters themselves filled out their ballots, not because of deals between parties. Voters are in control. Always.
This is what happens when the votes are being counted
At first, all the #1 votes are counted to see if anyone has the outright majority. If they do, then they win. But if no one gets outright majority, then the person with the least votes gets eliminated. This is where the preferences kick in. If the candidate eliminated was your #1 vote, then your vote will now instead go to your #2 preference. The lowest candidate keeps getting eliminated and votes flow to the next preference, until there’s a winner.
1 Million Women explains it well with these seven slides:
So what about the Community Independents?
We’re not driven by party ideology. We’re motivated by community values and listening to what matters most to the people of Corangamite. That’s why I’m not telling you how to vote, beyond asking for your #1 vote.
After that, it’s entirely your choice how to number the rest.
There are no backroom deals, no secret preference swaps, and no instructions. Just a commitment to honest, respectful democracy.
Put me as your number 1 – and then number the other candidates in whatever order you choose. That way, you know your vote will count the way you want it to.
Remember you must fill all eight boxes on the ballot paper.