Researched
Secret Ballot
Australian colonies introduce the state-printed secret ballot (1856), protecting voters from bribery and pressure.
Open in the interactive tree →Tasmania (February 1856), then Victoria and South Australia (1856), first used it, and the 'Australian ballot' spread to Britain (1872), the US and most democracies. Without secrecy, a wider vote could be bought or coerced, so it is a precondition of free elections.
Prerequisites
Unlocks
- Universal Suffrage1893A wider vote means little without a secret ballot that protects voters from pressure