Can you explain how a senator is elected in Australia?
Sure! In Australia, the Senate is one of the two houses of the federal parliament, and senators are elected using a proportional representation system. Here's how it works:

1. Each state and territory in Australia is represented by a number of senators. There are 12 senators from each state and two from each territory, making a total of 76 senators in the Australian Senate.
2. Senators are elected for a term of six years, with half of the senators up for election every three years.
3. To be eligible to run for the Senate, a person must be an Australian citizen, at least 18 years old, and not disqualified under the Constitution or the Commonwealth Electoral Act.
4. Voters in each state and territory cast a vote for a political party or an individual candidate. They can either vote above the line, which means they are voting for a party, or below the line, which means they are voting for individual candidates.
5. If a voter votes above the line, they must number at least six boxes in order of preference. If they vote below the line, they must number at least 12 boxes in order of preference.
6. Once the votes are counted, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) uses a complex method called the Hare-Clark system to allocate the seats. This involves a process of redistributing the votes of the lowest-polling candidates until the desired number of seats is reached.
7. In order to be elected to the Senate, a candidate must receive a quota of votes, which is calculated based on the total number of formal votes cast and the number of seats to be filled.
Who is eligible to cast a vote in Australia and are Australians living abroad able to vote for a senator?
Every Australian citizen who is aged 18 years or more can vote in a federal election if validly enrolled and not disqualified from voting. You will be validly enrolled if you are on the electoral roll at your current address (where you have lived for a month or more).

If you are an Australian citizen living overseas, you can still vote in federal elections if you have been outside Australia for less than three years. However, if you have been living overseas for more than three years, you will need to re-enrol.

I hope that helps! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.