Overview
The year marks a century since the introduction of compulsory voting in federal elections in Australia. Compulsory voting laid one of the foundations for our distinctive electoral system and gave effect to the ideal that every Australian should have a voice. While in 1912 Australia became the first Commonwealth nation to introduce compulsory enrolment to vote in federal elections, voting was not made compulsory until 1924. Even so, we were one of the first countries in the world to introduce compulsory voting.
The introduction of compulsory voting in 1924 established a unique model of democracy that now gives all Australian citizens 18 years and older both the right and obligation to enrol and to vote in federal elections. Of course, this did not originally apply to ALL Australians. Indigenous Australians did not gain the right to vote in federal elections until 1962. This amendment to the electoral act also gave First Nations peoples the opportunity to participate in the historic 1967 referendum to count them as part of the population. Remarkably, it was not until 1984 that enrolment and voting became compulsory for all, including Indigenous Australians.
Today there are more than 17 million registered voters, with 97.8 per cent of eligible Australians on the electoral roll.
Technical specifications
- Issue date
- 16 July 2024
- Issue withdrawal date
- 1 February 2025
- Denomination
- $1.50 x 1
- Stamp & product design
- Visua®
- Paper: gummed
- Tullis Russell 104gsm Red Phosphor
- Printer
- EGO
- Printing process
- Offset lithography
- Stamp size (mm)
- 26 x 37.5
- Sheetlet size (mm)
- 101 x 156
- Perforations
- 14.6 x 13.86
- Sheet layout
- Module of 10
- FDI Postmark
- Canberra ACT 2601
- FDI withdrawal date
- 14 August 2024
$1.50 Voting at the ballot box
The act of voting is depicted schematically, with the ballot being inserted into the secure ballot box. Anonymous voting or the secret ballot is a system whereby the voter’s identity is not known. This system was introduced at state level in 1856 in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Also called the “Australian ballot”, the secret ballot was influential, and later adopted in Britain and USA.
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Gummed stamp:
Centenary of Compulsory Voting Gummed Stamp
This single stamp design is from the Centenary of Compulsory Voting stamp issue.
Sheetlet:
Centenary of Compulsory Voting Sheetlet
This sheetlet of gummed stamps from the Centenary of Compulsory Voting stamp issue presents the stamp design as a sheetlet of 10.
Sheetlet pack:
Centenary of Compulsory Voting Sheetlet Pack
This first day cover from the Centenary of Compulsory Voting stamp issue presents the gummed stamp with an official postmark.
First Day Cover (Gummed):
Centenary of Compulsory Voting Gummed First Day Cover
This first day cover from the Centenary of Compulsory Voting stamp issue presents the gummed stamp with an official postmark.
- Gummed stamp
- Sheetlet
- Sheetlet pack
- First Day Cover (Gummed)
Additional collectables:
This content was produced at the time of the stamp issue release date and will not be updated.