Resource
Count a Preferential Election
Count 20 fictional ballots, transfer the lowest option’s ballots and find a majority winner.
Preview the student activity
Download printer-friendly student PDFCheck the preview, printing notes and licence before use.
What children do
Count 20 fictional ballots, transfer the lowest option’s ballots and find a majority winner.
Choose your download
- Printer-friendly student PDF — 2 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 40 minutes. A4 paper, pencils and optional colouring tools.
Run the activity
Print the ballot sheet and tally sheet. Keep ballot IDs visible so every paper can be tracked through transfers.
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.
