In 1956 South Australia became the first Australian colony to introduce universal male suffrage (right to vote) followed by Victoria in the same year.

Victoria was the first legislature in the world to introduce the secret ballot, known internationally as the Australian ballot, to prevent intimidation and coercion of voters.

The success of the secret ballot in Australia was instrumental to its adoption in Westminster. From 1843 male landowners in New South Wales had the right to vote in Legislative Council elections; however universal male suffrage and the secret ballot were not introduced there until 1858.

Queensland followed suit in 1872, Western Australia in 1893 and Tasmania in 1900. Aboriginal men were specifically excluded from voting in Queensland and Western Australia.