Systém alternativního hlasování a reprezentace minoritních skupin
Preferential Voting System and Representation of Minority Groups

Summary/Abstract: Majoritarian electoral system provides basic mechanisms for participation and representation of minority groups within a political system. However, some countries have implemented additional modifications in order to return more representative election results. Australia's electoral system to the lower chamber of the Federal Parliament represents such an alternation. Compulsory preferential voting combined with general obligation to vote would cause an increased importance of minority voters. Statistics show this groups have been regularly favouring Australian Labour Party candidates, and the results of the last elections in October 2004 also confirmed this trend. As its ties with minority voters seem stable, the main prohlem of present Labour political elite is its inability to appeal to a mainstream Australian voter whose vote is decisive for any election victory. The article discusses political position of ethnic groups among Australian population, assesses active participation of their representatives, and describes present debate among Australian scholars on electoral issues. Second part of the article analyses current Australian political environment, reflects recent elections, and indicates why, notwithstanding specific features of the electoral system, analyses of historical data reveal that, in long term period, the system of preferential voting has been returning only slightly different results in comparison to hypothetical use of a standard "First past the post" system.

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