ID 0270

Commonwealth Parliament, House of Representatives election

Election of 21 September 1940

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General election for the House of Representatives
Commonwealth of Australia
Date of election
21 September 1940

Government in office and parliamentary support before and after the election

Government in office at election

Prime Minister in office at date of election. (check notes to see if change of Prime Minister since previous election)
Robert Gordon Menzies
Prime Minister's party affiliation
United Australia Party
House of Representatives support for government at election
Coalition
If coalition, coalition partner(s)
Country Party

Government in office after election

Prime Minister in office after election.
Robert Gordon Menzies
Prime Minister's party affiliation
United Australia Party
House of Representatives support for government after election
Coalition Minority
If coalition, coalition partner(s)
Country Party

Enrolment and voting

Total number of voters on the roll
4,239,346
Number of House of Representatives seats
74
Number of uncontested seats
1
If uncontested seats, number of voters on the roll in uncontested seats
42,900
Number of voters on the roll in contested seats
4,196,446
Total ballots cast (may differ from number of votes in multiple voting systems)
3,979,009
Turnout (rate of voting in contested seats)
94.82%
Total valid votes
3,876,986
Rate of informal (invalid) voting
2.56%
Informal (invalid) ballots in multiple voting system
Not applicable
Electoral system
Adult franchise at 21 years; single member districts; preferential voting (AV); compulsory preferences; compulsory voting

House of Representatives votes and seats won, national summary

Display Chart

Election held on 21 September 1940
Criteria for the inclusion of parties in this table are set out in the Glossary under 'listed party'

* to view table drag left or right.
Party Name First preference vote n First preference vote share % Change from previous election % Seats won n Uncontested seats held n Seat share %
Australian Labor Party  1,556,941  40.16  -3.02  32  1  43.24 
United Australia Party  1,171,788  30.22  -3.48  23  0  31.08 
Country Party   531,397  13.71  -1.84  14  0  18.92 
Independents  312,948  8.07  +3.89  1  0  1.35 
Non-Communist Labor Party  202,721  5.23  *  4  0  5.41 
State Labor Party (NSW)  101,191  2.61  *  0     
Votes for other than listed parties 0 0.00 -0.48       
Totals 3,876,986  100.00    74  1  100.00 

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* Party did not contest previous election or did not meet criteria for listing, or contested previous election under a different party name.

Notes

Government in office at election: On the death of Prime Minister Lyons on 7 April 1939, Country Party leader Page became interim prime minister of a Country Party and United Australia Party coalition government until the United Australia Party chose new party leader. Once elected leader of the United Australia Party, Menzies was commissioned as Prime Minister of a United Australia Party minority government on 26 April 1939 as the Country Party declined to enter a coalition agreement with Menzies. On 14 March 1940, the Country Party under a new leader agreed to a revised coalition agreement and Menzies become Prime Minister of a United Australia Party and Country Party coalition government until this election in 1940.

Sources

Colin A Hughes and B D Graham, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700).


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