The Senate resolved that in each State the three senators who received the most votes would sit for a six-year term, finishing on 30 June 1920 while the other half would sit for a three-year term, finishing on 30 June 1917.

[1] It was a landslide victory for the Labor Party, which won 31 seats and was the largest party by first preference votes in every state except South Australia.

The opposition party, the Commonwealth Liberal Party, won just one seat, which was in South Australia, despite retaining four seats (two each in New South Wales and Tasmania).

The Liberal Party lost three seats, one each in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, while Labor lost one seat in New South Wales.

Labor therefore asked its supporters to vote for John Shannon (Liberal).