Most voters on March 11 will be eyeing the nearest sausage sizzle, trying to dodge political party helpers shoving a how-to-vote card at them.
And despite using the how-to-vote card to wipe the tomato sauce off your shirt or dress, how you number your preferences is actually kind of important.
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How do preference votes work
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There has been plenty of talk this WA state election about preference votes, here is how they work.
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How do preference votes work
There has been plenty of talk this WA state election about preference votes, here is how they work.
Especially given the hot topic in the lead up to the election (and what almost gave Colin Barnett an aneurism) has been the Liberals preference deal with One Nation in the upper house.
So what is all this preference malarkey all about? And why should we give a stuff?
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If anything, a basic understanding of how preferences work will stop you wanting to plunge a blunt screwdriver into your noggin to get rid of that annoying election ear worm caused by Labor leader Mark McGowan, "a vote for One Nation is a vote for Colin Barnett".
The proportional voting system in the upper house requires a quota system that is so complicated Einstein himself would have trouble deciphering it.
So the formula is the following: number of formal ballot papers divided by the number of MLC's to be elected (6) + 1/round down + 1 gives you the quota.
Hang in there.
So if we use the South Metropolitan Region for example, there are 58 candidates vying for six upper house positions.
In the 2015 electoral boundary review there were 377, 634 voters in the region.
So using those numbers (377,634 / (6 + 1)) + 1 the quota = 53, 948.
If the quota is not reached the candidate with the least number of votes is excluded and their votes redistributed according to the second preference shown.
This process continues until a candidate reaches a quota.
Any surplus votes from elected candidates (votes in excess of the quota they need), are transferred to the candidates who were the second choice of voters on those ballot papers but at a reduced value.
Right, now that you are rocking back and forth in a corner mumbling "I just want to watch Netflix" how you cast your vote is kind of easier. Well, it's not really.
When you grab that white ballot paper which looks like a small doona, you can either vote one above the line for the party or person you want to vote for, or in the case of the South Metropolitan region you can mark down each candidate one to 58.
Drawing a gigantic penis or a picture of Yoda on the ballot paper doesn't increase the value of your vote, or make it invalid.
But 95 per cent of people vote above the line because nobody wants to spend 12 hours locked in tiny cardboard cupboard numbering 58 candidates.
But if you number just one above the line your preferences will go along the lines of the party you vote for. So for example if you vote for the Liberals, your preferences will flow to One Nation and if you vote Labor they will flow to the Greens.
If you vote for a micro party I suggest you contact the preference whisperer Glen Druery, because your average mortal has no idea.
But the problem with the voting in the upper house is minor parties cut deals and swap preferences to increase their chances of getting elected.
At the 2013 federal election parties such as the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party and the Australian Sports Party secured seats, despite receiving less than 1 per cent of the primary vote.
So you see why preferences are an important bargaining tool.
Let's tackle something a little less baffling and look at the voting in the lower house, (legislative assembly) which uses a preferential voting system.
The green ballot paper for the lower house will display the names and each of the candidates in that particular seat.
So for my seat which is Fremantle, I would need to number the candidates one to eight as there are eight parties running in the port city electorate.
If one of the candidates gets in excess of 50 per cent of the vote (highly unlikely) they win the seat.
If no candidate has got the majority of the vote then the candidate with the fewest votes gets the chop.
The second preferences from the candidate that has been given the flick then flow to the remaining candidates.
If there is still no winner, the candidate with the second lowest votes gets the boot and their second preference flow to the second candidates.
And so on, until one candidate gets more than 50 per cent of the vote.
One of the quirks of the system is a candidate who may have started out with the most primary votes, can be leapfrogged by another candidate if preferences go their way.
There you go. Enjoy the sausage sizzle.
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