In the state election for the seat of Bega the decision of whether candidates will direct voters towards their preference is split down the middle, with three candidates opting for no preferences and three displaying their preferences on "how to vote" cards.
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Liberal candidate Andrew Constance, Australian Conservatives candidate Joshua Shoobridge and Fishers, Shooters and Farmers Party candidate Eric Thomas have all eschewed directing any preferences.
The Greens' William Douglas is preferencing Country Labor second and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers last.
Country Labor's Leanne Atkinson has The Greens second and the Liberals last.
The Animal Justice Party's Coral Anderson has Country Labor second and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers last.
These preferences are the suggestions of the candidates and voters can make their own choices or simply vote for the one candidate of their choice.
Preferencing comes into play if no candidate has an absolute majority of 50 per cent of the votes plus one. Then the candidate with the least number of votes is 'excluded' and their votes are re-sorted to the other candidates remaining in the count according to the second preference shown on each ballot paper.
However, if any of those ballot papers do not have a second preference, or have two or more second preferences on them, those ballot papers are known as 'exhausted' ballot papers and are removed from the count.
The system is relatively straight forward in the Legislative Assembly (Lower House) vote, but becomes much more complicated in the Legislative Council where there are more candidates under a single electorate.
The Legislative Council has 42 members but elections are staggered with only 21 elected at each election for two terms.
