Which statement best describes the Australian Senate in relation to the House of Representatives?

• A. Seats allocated proportionally to statewide votes and preferences fill seats
• B. Seats allocated by population of each state only
• C. Equal seats by random draw
• D. Senate uses single-member districts

Answer: (A)

Proportional representation at the state level is how the Senate is chosen. Each state elects the same number of senators, and the seats are filled using a statewide vote with a proportional representation system (the Single Transferable Vote). Voters rank candidates, and as votes meet a quota, seats are allocated according to the overall distribution of preferences. This means the Senate mirrors the state's political preferences more closely than a winner-takes-all approach would. This is different from the House of Representatives, where representation is based on population in individual electoral districts and uses a different voting method. So, describing the Senate as allocating seats proportionally to statewide votes and using preferences to fill seats captures how it works relative to the House.