CANBERRA, Australia — Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has averaged 28% support in Australian national opinion polls since June, a rise that could reshape the country’s politics but does not by itself show how many seats the party might win. Australia elects representatives in individual districts, not through a national vote that awards seats in proportion to a party’s overall support. The result in each race depends on how voters rank candidates and where preferences flow, making a strong national polling position an uncertain guide to parliamentary representation. One Nation could displace the Nationals as a major force at both state and federal levels, and potentially hold the balance of power in the New South Wales and Victorian parliaments as well as the federal Parliament. Those possibilities would give the party leverage even without forming a government outright. The polling surge comes as the major parties lose support to independents and smaller parties, while political turmoil affects the opposition. Hanson, a Queensland senator and One Nation’s leader, has remained prominent in national debate. For voters, the distinction between poll strength and seat totals matters: a party can attract substantial support across the country yet win fewer districts if its vote is not concentrated enough or its candidates do not prevail after preferences are counted. One Nation’s influence will therefore depend on how its support is distributed and how individual contests unfold.