Victoria's parliament has voted to abolish group voting tickets (GVTs) for the upcoming November state election. The electoral amendment (miscellaneous matters) bill 2026 passed the upper house on Tuesday night with 33 votes to four.
The change means that voters will now be required to number at least five parties above the line in order of preference. Previously, under the GVT system, voters chose one party above the line, and preferences were allocated by the party if it was eliminated during counting.
Election analyst Antony Green stated that the reform aims to reward parties that secure votes, rather than those elected through preference deals. He noted that in the last decade, around 20 candidates were elected with less than 6% of the primary vote due to these deals.
The four MPs who opposed the bill were Georgie Purcell (Animal Justice party), Rachel Payne (Legalise Cannabis), David Limbrick (Libertarian), and Jeff Bourman (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers). Electoral analyst Ben Raue suggested these parties, which have benefited from GVTs, will likely face difficulties getting candidates elected under the new system.
Georgie Purcell acknowledged the changes "significantly decrease" her re-election chances but stated she and her team are dedicated to campaigning. Rachel Payne and David Limbrick have also committed to running again, with Limbrick describing his party as "underdogs."