Right To Vote In Australia

The right to vote is one of the fundamental rights that serves as an indicator for freedom of a people, and can be seen in the history of every nation. Before Australia gained sovereignty in 1901, only male British subjects over 21 years of age were allowed to vote. In 1902, the Commonwealth of Australia uniformly passed into law the right of women over 21 years of age to vote, but deliberately excluded ‘native’ women and men from doing so. During this period, both indigenous men and women were excluded from voting in federal elections unless already registered within a state government, which was very difficult to do. In addition to the policy barring Aboriginal peoples from voting, there was a lack of inclusion in society that discouraged