The Australian Greens are proud to have reformed the Senate voting system to allow voters to choose their own preferences above the line, and not have to number every box below the line on their ballot papers.

"We have made history this afternoon. We have taken power away from back room operators and given it to voters," said Greens Leader Richard Di Natale.

"Standing on the shoulders of Bob Brown and Christine Milne, and with the support of so many people around the country, we're proud to finally deliver this long overdue reform.

The Greens have today welcomed news that a bill for Senate voting reform will be introduced into parliament this week, calling on opposition leader Bill Shorten to back the changes that are supported by many within his own party.

"Over 12 years the Greens have been putting forward legislation for Senate voting reform that ends back room preference deals and puts power back into the hands of voters," said Greens Leader Richard Di Natale.

1// It’s undemocratic

The current Senate voting system is almost like a lottery. You vote for one person, then your vote ends up electing somebody totally different.

Convoluted, complicated, and often secretive preference deals means you have no control over where your vote ends up. Some micro-parties are even created for the sole purpose of funnelling preferences and being a cog in the machine that manipulates your vote, distorting our democracy.

Commenting on a Sydney Morning Herald report (http://tinyurl.com/p4fvyt5) that suggests the Greens are split on the question of Senate voting reform and would back a "minimum vote threshold", Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"The only thing made clear in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald story is the fact that Mr Aston's unnamed source is wildly disconnected from Greens members and MPs.

Australian Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Lee Rhiannon has today reaffirmed her party’s support for Senate voting reform and criticised Senator David Leyonhjelm’s self-interested opposition to giving voters greater control of their preferences.

“Reforming the Senate voting system to take power out of the hands of political parties and backroom preference negotiators and give voters control over their vote is a fundamentally important and necessary democratic reform,” Senator Rhiannon said.

Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has welcomed support for Senate electoral reform by Liberal Party federal director Brian Loughnane and outgoing Labor Senator Bob Carr.

“There is now a widespread sentiment that our Senate voting system needs an overhaul, including the support of more than 2000 Australians who have signed The Greens ‘Reform Senate Voting’ petition,” Senator Rhiannon said.

“We must end the backroom preference deals to safeguard the standing of the Senate.