Labor’s landslide federal election victory in May, both in seats and two-party preferred terms, was underpinned by a greater number of preferences than ever from voters who didn’t put it first on the ballot paper.
Key findings:
- The Labor Party has never received so many preferences from voters who didn’t put it first.
- The growing number of voters giving their first preference to a minor party or independent candidate is hurting the Coalition far more than Labor.
- In 2013, 21% of voters gave their primary vote to a minor party or independent candidate. Of that, more preferred Labor (62%) to the Coalition (38%). Yet the Coalition was able to form government.
- In 2025, 34% of voters gave their primary vote to a minor party or independent candidate. Despite an almost identical split of preferences to 2013 (62% Labor/38% Coalition), Labor won in a landslide.
- In 2025, the Liberal–National Coalition had a historically low vote, whether you measure it in first-preference or 2PP terms.
“One of the great Australian innovations is the full preferential voting system, which guarantees that every vote matters and you cannot waste your vote,” said Bill Browne, Democracy & Accountability Director at the Australia Institute.