Resource
Preferential Voting Explained
Rank four fictional fair activities and follow a ballot to its next available preference.
Preview the student activity
Download printer-friendly student PDFCheck the preview, printing notes and licence before use.
What children do
Rank four fictional fair activities and follow a ballot to its next available preference.
Choose your download
- Printer-friendly student PDF — 1 A4 page(s), white backgrounds and black outlines.
- Colour student PDF — the same activity with restrained coloured accents.
- Answer sheet and educator notes — print separately when needed.
Age and preparation
Years 5–6; adaptable for ages 8–13. Allow around 20 minutes. A4 paper, pencils and optional colouring tools.
Run the activity
Use the fictional ranking as a worked example. Distinguish one transferable ballot from several votes.
These are fictional educational activities about House-style preferential voting. They do not simulate a Senate count. Follow current AEC instructions for an actual election.
Adapt the activity
Read vocabulary together and accept pointing, spoken explanations or a partner scribe. For more challenge, ask learners to explain a classification, trace a ballot, or justify a sequence using the facts on the page.
Printing and use
Print on A4 at actual size. Student PDFs contain only activity pages; solutions are separate. Use in a classroom, OSHC group or family. Do not sell or redistribute the files as your own.
Factual sources
Reviewed 2 October 2026 against these official sources. Illustrations are original; official diagrams and ballot designs have not been reproduced.
