This question may have been asked and answered before, but: What does "below/above the line" mean?
In Tasmania, a small state, there were 54 candidates, from 23 parties/groups, plus one independent. Voters may rank all 54 candidates, 1 to 54. If they rank the individual candidates, they must rank all of them.
This is hard to do, so voters might simply number down the columns, after perhaps ranking a few favorites. Parties would distribute "How to Vote" cards which would suggest how partisans should rank the candidates. This was simplified by letting the parties provide a preference list, with voters marking a single box. If you mark the ALP box, you are adopting ALP's ranking of the 54 candidates.
The ballot is arranged with the party/group boxes in a horizontal row across the top of the ballot, lettered A to W. There is a
heavy black line below these, and then each party's candidates in a column below their party box.
Thus a voter can rank the 54 individual candidates
below the line, or mark one of the party boxes
above the line.
In Tasmania, 90% of voters voted above the line. For example, 126,400 voters had a 1st preference for a Liberal candidate; 118,097 voted above the line for the party, while 5657, 1356, 637, and 653 voted below the line for the individual candidates of the party, Colbeck, Bushby, Chandler, and Courtney respectively.
Since Colbeck was the first preference for the Liberals he received 123,754 votes (118,097 plus 5657), which was 2.571 quotas, and he was elected.
When Colbeck's surplus was distributed, "his" first preference ballots were transferred based on their 2nd preference. 118,097 of these were Liberal ticket ballots and transferred to the second preference, Bushby. About 85% of the below-the-line Colbeck votes also transferred to Bushby, another 11% to Chandler or Courtney, and about 3% to candidates of other parties.
Because it is known how most of the ballots will transfer, it is straightforward to determine (or at least forecast with high accuracy) the winners almost immediately. But not until all the below-the-line ballots are transcribed can the result be official.
