<Li> Australian Capital Territory--Australian Capital Territory Electoral Commission . </Li> <P> The date and type of federal election is determined by the Prime Minister--after a consideration of constitutional requirements, legal requirements, as well as political considerations--who advises the Governor - General to set the process in motion by dissolving the lower or both houses and issuing writs for election . Some state elections are statutorily determined while others are determined by the respective state premiers . By federal law, state elections cannot take place on the same day as a federal election, which takes precedence if there is conflict . Federal elections have been held on a Saturday since the 1913 federal election . In Victoria elections have been held on a Saturday since the 1927 state election . </P> <P> Compulsory voting was introduced for the Queensland state election in 1915, at the federal level in 1924, and Victoria introduced it for the Legislative Assembly at the 1927 state election and for Legislative Council elections in 1935 . New South Wales and Tasmania introduced compulsory voting in 1928, Western Australia in 1936 and South Australia in 1942 . In South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia voting at local elections is not compulsory . Australia enforces compulsory voting . About 5% of enrolled voters fail to vote at most elections . People in this situation are asked to explain their failure to vote . If no satisfactory reason is provided (for example, illness or religious prohibition), a fine of up to $170 is imposed, and failure to pay the fine may result in a court hearing and additional costs . </P> <P> The immediate justification for compulsory voting at the federal level was the low voter turnout (59.38%) at the 1922 federal election, down from 71.59% at the 1919 federal election . Compulsory voting was not on the platform of either the Stanley Bruce - led Nationalist / Country party coalition government or the Matthew Charlton - led Labor opposition . The actual initiative for change was made by Herbert Payne, a backbench Tasmanian Nationalists senator who on 16 July 1924 introduced a private member's bill in the Senate . Payne's bill was passed with little debate (the House of Representatives agreeing to it in less than an hour), and in neither house was a division required, hence no votes were recorded against the bill . It received Royal Assent on 31 July 1924 as the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1924 . The 1925 federal election was the first to be conducted under compulsory voting, which saw the turnout figure rise to 91.4% . The turnout increased to about 95% within a couple of elections and has stayed at about that level since . Compulsory voting at referendums was considered when a referendum was proposed in 1915, but, as the referendum was never held, the idea was put on hold . </P>

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