Historical electoral events
A comprehensive list of electoral events in Victoria since 1855.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1851 | First Legislative Council election. |
| 1856 | Victoria becomes the first State in the world to adopt the secret ("Australian") ballot. |
| 1857 | All men gain the right to vote and stand for the Legislative Assembly. |
| 1870 | Payment of Members of Legislative Assembly introduced. |
| 1877-78 | Supply blocked - constitutional crisis. |
| 1891 | Labor Party created. First Chief Electoral Inspector appointed. |
| 1899 | One man one vote for Legislative Assembly. |
| 1900 | First postal vote for Legislative Assembly. |
| 1908 | Women get the vote. |
| 1909 | Fusion Liberal Party (forerunner of Liberal Party) formed. |
| 1911 | Preferential voting for Legislative Assembly. |
| 1913 | George Elmslie forms first Labor government. |
| 1916 | Labor Party splits over conscription. Victorian Farmers' Union (forerunner of National Party) created. |
| 1921 | Preferential voting for Legislative Council. |
| 1923 | Women able to run for Parliament. Compulsory enrolment introduced. |
| 1926 | Voting for Legislative Assembly compulsory. |
| 1927 | Absentee voting for Legislative Assembly. |
| 1933 | First woman elected to Legislative Assembly. |
| 1935 | Compulsory and absentee voting introduced in Legislative Council elections. |
| 1937 | One man one vote for Legislative Council. |
| 1947 | Legislative Council refuses supply of money. Cain Government forced to polls and defeated. |
| 1950 | All adults to vote for the Legislative Council. |
| 1952 | Election of first majority Labor government, under John Cain (senior). |
| 1955 | Labor splits: Democratic Labor Party (Anti-Communist) formed in 1958. Beginning of 27 years of Liberal government. |
| 1965 | Liberal and Country Party renamed Liberal Party. |
| 1972 | Sir Henry Bolte completes record 17 year term as Premier. |
| 1973 | Qualifying age for voting and membership of the Victorian Parliament lowered to 18 years. |
| 1979 | First women elected to the Legislative Council. |
| 1982 | Election of first Labor government to last more than a term of Parliament, under John Cain (Jnr.) First woman Victorian Cabinet Minister. One vote, one value through equal electorates; end of rural weighting. |
| 1984 | Terms of Legislative Assembly increased to maximum of four years, with a minimum of three years. Seventeen year olds able to enrol provisionally. |
| 1990 | Joan Kirner becomes Victoria's first woman Premier. |
| 1992 | Kennett Liberal/National Party Coalition elected. Record number of candidates stand for Legislative Assembly (362). |
| 1997 | Record number of candidates stand for a single electorate (17) at the Mitcham by-election. |
| 2002 | New Electoral Act revises Victorian electoral legislation. |
| 2006 | Electronically Assisted Voting pilot. |