Victoria scraps group voting tickets, putting small-party legislators in re-election bind

Victoria’s Legislative Council approved the Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026, voting 33 to four to abolish group voting tickets ahead of the November state election. The former system let voters select a single party above the line, with that party distributing preferences, a practice critics say facilitated backroom deals and allowed candidates with as little as 1% of the primary vote to be elected.

Under the new rules, voters must rank at least five parties above the line, giving them direct control over preferences. Microparty legislators—including Georgie Purcell of the Animal Justice party, Legalise Cannabis MP Rachel Payne, Libertarian MP David Limbrick and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman—opposed the bill, acknowledging that their re-election prospects are now far slimmer. Electoral analysts such as Antony Green and Ben Raue argue the change will favor larger parties and reduce the influence of preference trading. While the four MPs support the abolition of group voting tickets, they also call for a referendum to replace the eight regional electorates with a single statewide constituency, a reform that would require a public vote.