This page outlines significant electoral reforms made in the past

1990

  • Dr Carmen Lawrence became the first female Premier in Western Australia.


ELECTORAL REFORM ACT 1987
A comparison between the electoral system which existed prior to 1987 and its replacement.
The extensive reforms made by the 1987 Act were the most significant since self government in 1890.

Western Australian State Parliament
Reform Pre 1987 system 1987 reforms
[apply until next State election due in 2009]
BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
Terms of Parliament
  • 3 years for MLAs.
  • 6 years for MLCs.
    MLCs previously avoided every second election
  • 4 year terms
  • Commencing with the 1989 election all Members of both Houses of Parliament are elected for 4 years.
  • Terms for Members of the Legislative Council are fixed.
Ballot papers
  • A valid vote must number all candidates, 1,2,3,4, etc in the order of the voter's preference.







  • No party names were printed on ballot papers.
  • No change to full preferential voting, however;
    simplified ticket voting is available on Legislative Council ballot papers. Placing the number "1" in a ticket voting square will register a ranked order of preferences for all candidates in accordance with a voting ticket which may be lodged by a candidate or group prior to the election.
  • Candidates may have "Independent" or the name of their party or group printed alongside their names on all ballot papers.
Automatic electoral redistribution
  • A redistribution did not occur unless 8 or more districts deviated by more than 20% from their enrolment quota at an election.
  • A redistribution of electoral boundaries will occur automatically one year after every second election.
Electoral boundaries
  • Some electoral boundaries, for example the 4 North West districts and the Metropolitan border were drawn by politicians.
  • Boundaries for all Legislative Assembly districts and Legislative Council regions are drawn by independent Electoral Distribution Commissioners.
  • The boundary between the metropolitan area and the country is the Metropolitan Region Scheme boundary on 1st January 1987.
  • The statutory boundaries of Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascogne and Murchison-Eyre districts which were the subject of the most serious malapportionment and gerrymander in the State are abolished.
ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTORAL SYSTEM
Degree of independence
  • There was a State Electoral Department.
    Many decisions were made by the Government of the day.
  • A Western Australian Electoral Commission has been established. This Commission is a statutory body with guaranteed independence of operation and staffing. It is fully responsible for the impartial administration of the electoral law.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Enrolments per member
  • District enrolments ranged from approximately 34,000 down to 4,000, a ratio of 8.5:1.
  • On average:
    Metro districts were 20,670 each.
    Country districts were 10,714 each.
  • The ratio between average metro and country enrolment per Members was 1.93:1.
  • Some progress towards equally valued votes.

  • Approximate enrolments are:
    34 metro districts of 19,685 and
    23 country districts of 10,438.
  • The ratio between average metro and country enrolment per Member is 1.88:1.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Enrolments per Member
  • Province enrolments ranged from approximately 99,700 down to 9,050, a ratio of 11:1.
  • On average:
    Metro MLCs represented 44,293 each.
    Country MLCs represented 14,464 each.
  • The ratio between average metro and country enrolment per Member was 3:1.
  • Some progress towards equally valued votes.

  • Approximate enrolments are:
    17 Metro MLCs represent 39,370 each.
    17 Country MLCs represent 14,120 each.
  • The ratio between average metro and country enrolment per Member is 2.77:1.
Method of election of MLCs
  • Each province was represented by 2 MLCs, one elected at each election and the votes were counted by the preferential system.





  • Vacancies were filled at a by-election.
  • Members of the Legislative Council are elected from 3 metropolitan and 3 country regions.
    At the multi-member elections in each region votes are counted by a system of proportional representation which guarantees an accurate match between votes and seats won. This is the system used for the Australian Senate.
  • Vacancies are filled by a re-count.

ELECTORAL AMENDMENT ACT 1983

  • Created the co-operative enrolment agreement with the Commonwealth so that one application [instead of three] would achieve enrolment to vote in Commonwealth, State and Local Government elections.
  • Removed provisions which required enrolment applications to be witnessed by persons in authority like JPs.
  • Election timetable altered to enforce adequate notice of closure of the roll.
  • Australian citizenship became a primary qualification for enrolment.

ELECTORAL AMENDMENT ACT 1970

  • Age for enrolment and voting reduced from 21 to 18 years.
  • Position of names on the ballot paper to be decided by chance instead of alphabetically.

AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM 1967

  • Uniform rights to vote gained for Aboriginal people.

ELECTORAL ACT AMENDMENT 1964

  • Qualifications to enrol and vote in Legislative Council elections made identical to those for the Legislative Assembly. This abolished plural voting and property qualifications which had previously existed for the Legislative Council.
  • Compulsory enrolment and voting introduced for Legislative Council elections to match what already existed for the Legislative Assembly.
  • Differential election time schedules for various areas within the State abolished.

1962

  • Spouses of house holders became eligible to vote
  • Aboriginial people over 21 became eligible to vote.

1954

  • Hon Ruby Hutchison [ALP] became the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council.

1920

  • Women became eligible to stand as candidates for election to either House of Parliament. Mrs Edith Cowan became the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament in 1921.

ELECTORAL ACT 1907

  • Only one vote per person now allowed in Legislative Assembly elections.
  • Property qualifications to vote in Legislative Assembly elections were removed.

1899

  • Women over 21 gained the right to vote in Legislative Assembly elections.

  • Four years later this reform occurred in time for the 1903 Commonwealth elections and this was the first time in the world that women could both vote and stand for election to a national parliament.
Commemorative coin for the 2003 centenary of women's suffrage for Commonwealth elections

Commemorative coin for the 2003 centenary of women's suffrage for Commonwealth elections

More about Women's suffrage on the WA Electoral Commission website
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1893

  • The first fully elected Legislative Council. One third of Members were previously appointed by the Governor.

1890

  • In 1889 the Parliament was expanded into two Houses, adding the Legislative Assembly.
  • The Legislative Council reverted to a House of appointed Members until 1893.
  • At the first Legislative Assembly election in 1890 no females or Aborigines could vote or be a candidate.
  • Men had to own property in order to vote and be a candidate and if property was owned in several electorates that made plural voting possible.

1870

  • The previously appointed Legislative Council became composed of 6 appointed and 12 elected Members.
  • Only heads of house holds and property owners were able to vote. [The qualifications to vote were for males over 21 years who owned freehold property valued at a minimum of £100 or paid an annual rent of £10. That is approximately 3,000 out of 15,000 non-indigenous males.]
  • Plural voting was permitted for those who owned property in several electorates.

1832 to 1870

  • The Governor appointed Members to the small Legislative Council. There were no elected Members.


Tails
EARL GREY LORDS BROUGHAM & RUSSELL
THE INVINCIBLE
CHAMPIONS OF THE
REFORM BILL
WHICH AFTER A MOST
VIOLENT CONTEST
BECAME LAW JUNE 7TH 1832
AMIDST THE
ACCLAMATIONS
OF AN UNITED PEOPLE 		Medallion struck to commemorate passing of the historic Reform Bill in England in 1832 Heads
THE BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS
REFORMED JUNE 7 1832

An important historical step towards democracy was taken after a long and bitter struggle when the English Parliament passed the Great Reform Act in 1832.