Final answer:
The Australian ballot changed US elections by introducing a secret and standardized voting process, thereby reducing vote buying and intimidation, and allowing voters to 'split the ticket' in their selections.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Australian ballot significantly transformed the electoral process in the United States by introducing a system where ballots were printed by state governments listing all candidates for all offices, which allowed voters to cast their votes in secret. This shift occurred starting in 1888, moving away from the prior practice where political parties printed their own ballots with only their candidates listed, making vote choices public. This reform was part of a broader movement to reduce corruption and fraudulent voting, targeting practices like vote buying and intimidation that were prevalent due to the lack of secrecy.
There are two kinds of Australian ballots used in U.S. elections: the office-block ballot where candidates are grouped by the office they are running for, and the party-column ballot where candidates are grouped by party. These ballots offer voters the option to 'split the ticket' by choosing candidates from different parties or to vote straight-ticket for one party. The Australian ballot system was one of several reforms aimed at cleaning up elections and making them fairer and more democratic.