1964 Australian Senate election

Elections were held on 5 December 1964 to elect members to half of the 60 seats in the Australian Senate. There was no accompanying election to the House of Representatives, as Robert Menzies had called an early House-only election the previous year. As with the previous Senate election, the Coalition held exactly half of the seats in the chamber; the Democratic Labor Party and independent senator Reg Turnbull held the balance of power.[1]

1964 Australian Senate election

← 1961 5 December 1964 1966 →

30 of the 60 seats in the Senate
30 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Shane Paltridge Nick McKenna George Cole
Party Coalition Labor Democratic Labor Party (Australia, 1955)
Leader's seat Western Australia Tasmania Tasmania
Seats before 30 28 1
Seats won 14 14 2
Seats after 30 27 2
Seat change Steady Decrease1 Increase1
Popular vote 2,362,081 2,308,670 433,511
Percentage 45.70% 44.66% 8.39%
Swing Increase3.62pp Decrease0.04pp Decrease1.43pp
Senate (STV) — 1964–67—Turnout 94.49% (CV) — Informal 6.98%
Party Votes % Swing Seats won Seats held Change
  Liberal–Country coalition (total) 2,362,081 45.70 +3.62 14 30 ±0
  Liberal–Country joint ticket 1,261,592 24.41 –8.75 5 * *
  Liberal (separate ticket) 1,038,130 20.08 +11.80 8 23 –1
  Country (separate ticket) 62,359 1.21 +0.56 1 7 +1
  Labor 2,308,670 44.66 –0.04 14 27 –1
  Democratic Labor 433,511 8.39 –1.43 2 2 +1
  Communist 37,915 0.73 –0.89 0 0 0
  Independent / ungrouped 26,873 0.52 –1.25 0 1 0
  Total 5,169,050     30 60
Notes
  • In New South Wales and Queensland, the coalition parties ran a joint ticket. Of the five senators elected on a joint ticket, three were members of the Liberal Party and two were members of the Country Party. In Western Australia, the coalition parties ran on separate tickets. In South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria, only the Liberal Party ran a ticket.
  • The sole independent was Reg Turnbull of Tasmania; he did not face re-election in 1964.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Carr, Adam. "1964 Senate election: National summary". Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 7 January 2023.