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

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)