Preferential voting explained
Launch library · evergreen read
Preferential voting asks voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than choosing only one candidate outright. If no candidate wins an outright majority of first preferences, the lowest scoring candidate is eliminated and their votes redistributed according to the next preference marked, with the process repeating until someone crosses the required threshold to win.
This system is designed so that the eventual winner has, in effect, been supported by a majority of voters once preferences are taken into account, even if that support was not their first choice. It also allows voters to back a smaller party without feeling their vote is entirely wasted on a candidate unlikely to win.
Counting takes longer than a simple first past the post tally, and the flow of preferences between candidates can itself become a talking point during a campaign, since it shapes which alliances and rivalries end up mattering most to the eventual result once every single seat has been decided.