1988 Australian referendum (Fair Elections)

The 1988 Australian referendum (Fair Elections) was one of four referendums held on 3 September 1988, alongside proposals regarding parliamentary terms, rights and freedoms, and local government. This specific referendum sought to alter the Australian Constitution to guarantee a system of fair and democratic elections throughout Australia.

The proposed changes aimed to achieve a number of specific objectives:

• One Vote, One Value: To ensure that electoral divisions were drawn in a manner that resulted in approximately equal numbers of voters in each division, thus ensuring that each person's vote carried roughly the same weight.
• Freedom of Vote: To constitutionally guarantee the right of all adult Australian citizens to vote in elections, free from coercion or undue influence.
• Secret Ballot: To constitutionally guarantee the right to a secret ballot in elections.
• Democratic Election of Legislatures: To ensure the ongoing democratic election of the Parliaments of the states and territories.

The proposed constitutional amendment was presented to voters as a single question. Despite some support, the referendum failed to achieve the necessary majority of votes nationally and in a majority of states. The "Yes" vote received a national average of 39.45%, failing to secure a majority in any state. As required by Section 128 of the Constitution, a successful referendum requires a majority of voters nationally and a majority of states to vote "Yes."