In a democracy, the perception of fairness is as crucial as actual fairness. If citizens believe the ‘game is rigged’, trust in government erodes, and they disengage. When people have faith in the electoral process, they are far more willing to accept outcomes – even outcomes they dislike. This phenomenon is often called ‘losers’ consent’, meaning even the losing side in an election consents to live under a regime they don’t support if the process that elected it is seen as fair. This is a vital ingredient for governmental legitimacy. Conversely, when electoral procedures are perceived as unjust, citizens may reject results and withdraw from participation, or worse, resort to unrest.
Throughout history, leaders and philosophers have recognised that appearing fair is essential for stability. From Aristotle’s observation that perceived injustice fuels revolt to modern social science research, the lesson is the same: Democratic legitimacy flows from adherence to transparent, impartial procedures. When this is present, public trust grows; when it’s absent, cynicism and backlash follow. Indeed, studies find that citizens’ perceptions of procedural fairness directly shape their trust in institutions and their willingness to obey laws.
Even if an election is run cleanly, any doubt about its fairness can be as damaging as actual fraud. Democracies depend not only on fair outcomes but also on broad public buy-in. In other words, our willingness to be ruled by leaders we don’t support lies in the assumption that their ascent to power is the majority’s will.
This brings us to the 2025 Western Australia State election, which is marred by reports of widespread irregularities and errors. Ballot shortages affected many polling stations, forcing some voters to wait in long queues while others were turned away entirely. Some voters were told to go to another polling location, only to be turned away there as well. Additionally, polling staff were said to have provided incorrect instructions. One Australian Christians volunteer told me that she witnessed polling workers providing only Lower House ballots, an error that was only corrected after she intervened and alerted a supervisor. These failures are only a small collection of examples, and they raise concerns about the integrity of our election.
These issues go beyond minor errors; they go to the heart of public confidence in our democratic system.
Given the mounting concerns surrounding the election, a full Parliamentary inquiry with bipartisan oversight is essential to restore public confidence. Simply allowing the government to investigate itself won’t be enough. The Western Australian Electoral Commission has announced it will review the problems internally, which is not satisfactory.
We need a bipartisan Parliamentary inquiry to ensure impartial scrutiny. Such an inquiry can compel testimony from the Electoral Commissioner, the private contractor, and affected voters, and do so transparently. Importantly, it must be constituted by members of the government, the opposition, and the crossbench. With all parties at the table, we can ensure that the findings have credibility across the political spectrum.
Calls for such an inquiry are already mounting. Politicians from both the opposition and the government benches have either explicitly or tacitly supported an independent investigation. We even signed a letter alongside the Liberals, Nats, Greens, Cannabis, and One Nation demanding such an inquiry.
The damage to civic life if we do not restore full faith and confidence in the electoral process cannot be understated. Western Australians deserve and demand full accountability. We all deserve to know how and why this happened. Please join me in calling for an in-depth Parliamentary inquiry.
Maryka Groenewald is the Leader of the Australian Christians Party in WA
