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the strike and the cross

1856 Tasmanian Electoral Act

Talented Mr Boothby

Wakefield and ballot

The Australian Ballot

Secret ballot - not an Australian first
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Enrolling The People

New York Daily Times April 8 1857, p4

It's a year after the ballot's introduction in Australia, and an American visitor to England finds the open system of voting there "bold" and "infinitely preferable" to the longstanding "secret and irresponsible" American one. (His gripe is also against the caucus preselection process.) He was on the wrong side of history; secret voting is of course now the norm.