The Legislative Council

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The Victorian Legislative Council has 40 members, elected by proportional representation and preferential voting from eight regions, each electing five members. A quota for election is therefore 16.7%, but in practice the preferential system makes it possible to be elected with far fewer votes if preference deals are done which benefit minor-party candidates. Victoria still uses the system of automatic allocation of preferences which has now been abolished for Senate elections. This makes it more likely that minor-party candidates will be elected.

At the 2014 election, Labor won 14 seats, a loss of two, and the Liberal-National coalition won 16, a loss of five. The Greens won five seats, a gain of two - both from Labor. Five minor party candidates were elected, all at the expense of the Coalition. They were two Shooters, Fishers and Farmers members, one Democratic Labour Party, one Sex Party, and one from the group called Vote 1 Local Jobs. This meant that the three "left" parties (Labor, the Greens and the Sex Party) had 20 votes between them, while the Coalition, the Shooters, the DLP and Local Jobs also had 20. In practice the Labor government has managed to negotiate the passage of most of its legislation with one or other of the minor parties.

At this election the DLP and Vote 1 Local Jobs members are retiring. Their seats may revert to the Coalition, or other minor party candidates may be elected in their place. Labor or the Greens will need to gain one seat to have a majority between them, although Labor is emphatic that it does not want to rely on the Greens. Labor's best prospect of a gain is to win three seats in Western Metropolitan, by winning the seat being vacated by the DLP. Labor also has hopes of defeating some of the Greens members. The Coalition will be hoping to regain the seat in Western Victoria they lost to Vote 1 Local Jobs in 2014.

Eastern Metropolitan Region

Eastern Victoria Region

Northern Metropolitan Region

Northern Victoria Region

Southern Metropolitan Region

South-Eastern Metropolitan Region

Western Metropolitan Region

Western Victoria Region

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