2 November 2001

Over 12.5 million Australians will be eligible to vote in Election 2001 on Saturday 10 November.

In Australia, citizens have the right and responsibility to enrol and vote when they reach 18. In fact it is compulsory to do so.

But it hasn't always been so - compulsory enrolment wasn't introduced until 1911 and compulsory voting wasn't introduced until 1924.

For one quarter of the history of white settlement in Australia nobody voted, and this was for the simple fact that there were no parliaments.

The first parliamentary elections were in 1843 for the New South Wales Legislative Council. But this was an election that not everyone could vote in - only men with land valued at 200 pounds or a house with rental worth 20 pounds annually had the right to vote.

For the rest of the century following this election, and even for a time before, there were struggles over who could vote and what they could vote for. Movements to increase the franchise gained notable victories in the years following the first election in Australia.

In 1856 the right to vote was granted to all male British subjects over the age of 21 in South Australia. The other States followed between 1857 and 1896.

South Australia again led the way when in 1894 women over 21 were given the right to vote. The other States granted women this right between 1899 and 1908.

By 1902 most men and women were able to vote at federal elections. However, what were referred to as 'Aboriginal natives' of Australia, Asia, Africa or the Pacific Islands were excluded from enrolment and voting.

In 1903 the first federal election under federal law was held with a 46.86% voter turnout. In 1925 the first federal election with compulsory voting was held with a 91.31% voter turnout.

It was in 1949 when Aboriginal people were given the right to enrol and vote at federal elections, and then only so long as they were entitled to enrol for State elections or had served in the defence forces. In 1962 voluntary enrolment and voting at federal elections was extended to all Aboriginal people and in 1984 that enrolment and voting were made compulsory .

In 1973 the qualifying age for enrolment, voting and candidature for all federal elections was lowered from 21 to 18 for all Australians. In 1984 the qualifications to be eligible to vote was changed to Australian citizenship and now the only non-Australian citizens entitled to enrol and vote are those British subjects who were on the electoral roll on 25 January 1984, the time at which the eligibility changed.

For further information on Australian electoral history, access the AEC website at
www.aec.gov.au