Victoria stands alone in Australia as the final state clinging to a controversial method for electing its upper house, the Legislative Council. This system, known as group voting tickets (GVTs), allows a voter's ballot to ultimately help elect a candidate they may never have heard of, following backroom preference deals struck by political parties.
How Group Voting Tickets Work and Why They're Controversial
Under the GVT system, Victorians can choose to simply mark a single party 'above the line' on their Legislative Council ballot paper. If that party is later eliminated during the complex counting process, it is the party itself – not the voter – that decides where those preferences flow.
Like federal elections, counting occurs in rounds. If no candidate reaches the required vote quota, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their votes are then redistributed based on the voter's numbered preferences if they voted 'below the line', or according to the eliminated party's pre-determined ticket if the vote was 'above the line'.
This mechanism has long been exploited, enabling candidates with a tiny share of the primary vote to leapfrog over rivals with significantly more direct support. The 2018 state election provided a stark example, where the results were so contentious that even political strategist Glenn Druery, dubbed the 'preference whisperer', anticipated the practice would be abolished.
Greens MP and integrity spokesperson Tim Read argues that 20% of Victoria's upper house in 2018 was effectively chosen through a "financially arranged cartel system." He contends this had serious implications during the Covid-19 pandemic, stating: "The balance of power in the upper house... was being dictated by people more answerable to Glenn Druery than they are to Victorians."
The Push for Reform and Political Resistance
Momentum for change is building. A government-led electoral matters committee, following reviews of both the 2018 and 2022 elections, has repeatedly called for GVTs to be scrapped. A separate inquiry, chaired by Labor MP Dylan Wight, has spent months examining six potential replacement models and is due to deliver its final report imminently.
However, scrapping the system faces significant hurdles. Almost all proposed alternatives would require a constitutional referendum, which key figures like Read and Liberal upper house leader David Davis believe is unlikely before the next state poll in November 2026.
According to Labor sources, the most probable path is legislation to abolish GVTs in the first quarter of 2026, while keeping the upper house's regional structure intact. Yet this plan would meet fierce opposition from crossbenchers whose support the government relies on, including the Legalise Cannabis and Animal Justice parties.
Legalise Cannabis MP Rachel Payne labels a simple abolition as "self-serving," likely to see Labor and the Liberals gain seats at the expense of minor parties. She argues true proportional representation requires also scrapping the upper house regions. Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell agrees, warning that reform done "in the wrong order" would be "fundamentally terrible for democracy."
What Comes Next for Victorian Democracy?
The political manoeuvring has already begun. The government has pushed through legislation this year and added an extra sitting week, while scheduling fewer for next year – potentially bracing for a hostile crossbench reaction. Victorian Labor has also delayed its upper house preselections pending the GVT outcome.
Libertarian MP David Limbrick summarised the likely minor party response bluntly: "If GVTs were simply removed, I imagine the response from most minor parties would be to make the lives of the major parties as miserable as possible until November 2026."
With the 2026 election looming, Victoria faces a critical choice: retain a voting system widely criticised for producing undemocratic outcomes, or navigate the treacherous political waters of reform that could reshape the balance of power in its parliament for years to come.
