Australia elections: From ‘donkey voting’ to ‘corflute’ and ‘tradies’, all the slangs you need to know

Australian federal election 2025

After Canada, where the ruling Liberals secured a fourth consecutive term as the federal government, all eyes are on Australia, which will hold its federal election on Saturday. The ruling Australian Labor Party of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be up against Peter Dutton‘s Liberal-National coalition.
Australia is among a handful of nations where voting is compulsory. Also unique is the Australian campaign vernacular, which includes terms such as “donkey voting“, “corflutes”, stoushes”, “spruiking” etc.
Here’s a look at some Australian election slangs:
Donkey vote: According to the Guardian, Australian voters do this when they don’t care about who wins the election, or they don’t want their vote to count, but also don’t want to get fined for not casting a ballot. Under the donkey vote, voters number all candidates in order of their preference, on ballot papers for the lower house of Parliament.

Donkey voting means starting at the top and numbering the candidates in order down the page, rather than considering them on their merits.
Corflute: The word is a registered trademark of Corex Australia, a supplier of wholesale plastic sheets and plastic. In a political context, it is a corrugated plastic sheeting used for temporary signage to promote a candidate, found anywhere from shopping centres to trees, highways or front gardens. Essentially, it’s a waterproof poster, but Australians call it a “corflute.”
Stoushes: It is a term used for a conflict/disagreement. It spans a wide spectrum: debate, physical fight, taking someone to court. It can also be used for policy disagreements, factional differences, campaign disputes.
Spruiking: It is believed to have been derived from the German word “spruch,” which means a saying. In an Australian context, it has evolved to become slang for promoting something with a “bit of flair.”
Alternatively, it can also be used as an insult.
Voting informally: An “informal” ballot is one in which a voter, instead of putting a number against the candidates, draws something “stupid” on their ballot paper.
Tradies: It is used as a slang for a tradesperson. A tradesperson is always called a “tradie,” whether in an official media release or at a press conference.
Fake tradies: An important sub-category of tradies is the “fake tradie,” which means someone playing an “unconvincing role” as a tradie in campaign ads.
Rorts: Election rorts are when the parties distribute taxpayer dollars unfairly to boost their chances of winning votes.