A redistribution in 1907 resulted in the abolition of all of the single-member seats and the adoption of multi-member districts based on he five federal electorates that had been created for Tasmania.
In addition, the Gregory fractional method was to be used to transfer surplus votes held by winners and the Droop quota was to be used (unlike the whole vote transfer method and Hare quota that were used in 1897 and 1900).
One major result was the formation of parties—prior to 1909, members other than those pledged to the Labor Party had adopted loose and flexible affiliations, generally being known as "Ministerialist", "Oppositionist/Liberal" or "Independent".
The second major result was the product of the election itself—the near-complete destruction of the former Liberal grouping which had originally formed around Sir Edward Braddon and Andrew Inglis Clark, and the considerable rise in the fortunes of the Labor Party.
They gained 12 seats in the new Assembly, and for the first time in Tasmania's history, held government for a week in October 1909 under Premier John Earle.