What does accepting election results mean?

Accepting election results means that everyone in Australian public life, including unsuccessful candidates, parties, voters, and elected representatives, accepts the outcome of an election declared by an independent electoral authority and acts on that result peacefully. It is one of the most basic conditions for the rule of law and democratic stability.

In practice, accepting an election result has several elements. Defeated candidates concede publicly, usually on election night, and congratulate the winner. Defeated parties accept their place in opposition or, in the case of minor parties, their share of seats in the Senate or crossbench. Defeated governments resign promptly after a clear loss and make way for the new government. Voters, even those who voted for the losing side, accept the new government as legitimate and lawful, while remaining free to criticise its decisions.

Australia has a strong tradition of electoral acceptance. Concessions from John Howard in 2007, Kevin Rudd in 2013, Bill Shorten in 2019, and Scott Morrison in 2022 were all delivered publicly on election night and were followed by smooth transfers of power. Where individual results have been close, parties have applied to the Court of Disputed Returns (the High Court sitting in that role) for adjudication rather than challenging results outside the courts.

Electoral acceptance is supported by the independence of the Australian Electoral Commission and its state counterparts. The AEC is established under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 as an independent statutory authority. Its commissioners are appointed for fixed terms and cannot be dismissed except by Parliament. Counting takes place in public with scrutineers from all parties watching. Recounts and reviews are conducted transparently. The integrity of the AEC has helped Australia avoid the election-result disputes that have damaged democracies in other countries.