What is preferential voting and why is it used in Australian elections for the House of Representatives?

• A. Voters rank candidates; if no candidate has a majority, preferences are redistributed until one candidate achieves a majority, ensuring broad support.
• B. Voters choose a single candidate and the candidate with the most first-preference votes wins.
• C. It guarantees a party with the most votes wins regardless of preferences.
• D. It is a form of proportional representation by party lists.

Answer: (A)