Greens Preferences.

In case you were wondering, if you vote for the Greens in NSW, this year, and Lee Rhiannon does not quite get a quota, then this is how your vote would be re-distributed. Obviously, if she gets a quota, then she gets elected (end of the question), but it is far from a sure thing. Kerrie Nettle was the last candidate eliminated in the 2007 election, with 11.02% of the vote (after preferences were distributed in 28 "counts"). She started with 8.43% of first preference votes.

THE GREENS (1 - 6)
GROUP AB 7, 8
GROUP AE (CHERYL KERNOT + RUNNING MATE) 9, 10
SECULAR PARTY OF AUSTRALIA 11.12
SOCIALIST ALLIANCE 13, 14
COMMUNIST 15, 16
AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRATS 17, 18
AUSTRALIAN SEX PARTY 19, 20, 21
CARERS ALLIANCE 22, 23
GROUP K 24, 25
GROUP X 26, 27
SENATOR ON-LINE 28, 29
GROUP T 30, 31
LABOR 32 - 37
UNGROUPED - SCOTT IRVING 38
GROUP C 39, 40
SOCIALIST EQUALITY PARTY 41, 42
UNGROUPED CANDIDATES, 43, 44, 45, 46
LIBERAL/NATIONALS 47 - 52
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS (LDP) 53,54, 55
GROUP B 56. 57
GROUP H 58, 59
GROUP L 60, 61
BUILDING AUSTRALIA 62, 63
DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY (DLP) OF AUSTRALIA 64, 65
FAMILY FIRST 66. 67
NON-CUSTODIAL PARENTS PARTY (EQUAL PARENTING) 68, 69
CITIZENS ELECTORAL COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA 70, 71
THE CLIMATE SCEPTICS 72,73
SHOOTERS AND FISHERS 74, 75
CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (FRED NILE GROUP) 76,77, 78
GROUP D 79, 80
GROUP R 81, 82
ONE NATION 83, 84

Electoral rules state that: "In Senate elections, a system called proportional representation voting secures the election of a number of candidates, each of whom has obtained a required quota or proportion of votes necessary for election. The quota is worked out by dividing the total number of formal votes in the election by one more than the number of places available for election."

There are 6 Senate Candidates to be elected.
So, the quota is total formal votes divided by 6 + 1 = 7.
Once that number is achieved, it is not possible for another candidate to pass the line, that's how it is worked out. Saves them having to go all the way down the list, but usually they do anyway.

So, back to the Green Preferences, it is almost certain that the Greens will come 3rd, probably with something about 11% (or if they do very well), maybe 14% of the vote.

Preferences will most likely give the first 4 seats to Labor and the Coalition (2 seats each). Then the race is on for 5th and 6 positions. As Labor is "On the Nose" in NSW I anticipate that the 5th position will go to to the 3rd Liberal/National Coalition candidate (Fiona Nash), so the Labor Party No 3 person (Steve Hutchins) will fight it out with Lee Rhiannon.

If she is finally eliminated, all the preferences for minor Parties and Groups and ungrouped candidates would be nullified, as only "live" candidates can receive any preferences, so the key thing to note is that Greens preferences go to Labor ahead of Liberals.

So, despite all the "fuss" about preference deals, etc, that is where her effective preferences would go.

The bit which puzzles me most is, why most of these 84 candidates bother?