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Voting behaviour in a federal election

26 Nov 2012

Q. Thinking about Federal elections, which of the following best describes you how you vote?

Total

 

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

I usually vote for the same party but have voted for another party occasionally

36%

41%

40%

34%

I always vote for the same party

30%

36%

34%

25%

I don’t have any usual party preference and just decide who to vote for each election on its own

13%

8%

9%

19%

I often switch my vote between Labor and Liberals or Nationals.

9%

5%

15%

3%

I often switch my vote between a major party (Labor or Liberal) and a minor party (e.g. Greens) or an independent

5%

7%

1%

11%

Don’t know

8%

4%

1%

7%

The greatest portion of respondents claim to usually vote for the same party but have voted for another party occasionally (36%).  A slightly smaller portion of respondents claim to always vote for the same party (30%).

Thirteen percent (13%) of respondents don’t have any usual party preference.  Nine percent (9%) claim to switch their vote between Labor and Liberals/Nationals (9%) and 5% claim to switch their vote between a major party and a minor party.

Looking at the results by voting intention, 41% of Labor voters and 40% of Lib/Nat voters usually vote for the same party but have voted for another party occasionally.  Again, a fairly equal portion of Labor voters (36%) and Lib/Nat voters (34%) claim to always vote for the same party.

Greens voters are the most likely to claim that don’t have a usual party preference (19%) and that they often switch their vote between a major party and a minor party (11%).

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