Can Tech Save Democracy? Why 600,000 Aussies Used Lizzie Hedding's Voting Tool

Can Tech Save Democracy? Why 600,000 Aussies Used Lizzie Hedding's Voting Tool

August 10, 2026 · 42 min

About this episode

Lizzie Hedding discusses her journey from elite athletics to creating a non-partisan voting platform that engaged over 600,000 Australians in the electoral process.

What if technology could help us become better voters? Climate advocate, former elite long jumper and Build a Ballot co-founder Lizzie Hedding is trying to do exactly that. Her non-partisan voting platform attracted more than 600,000 users during the last federal election, helping Australians cut through political noise and make more informed decisions at the ballot box. In this episode of The Pay Off, Lizzie joins Sylvia Jeffreys to unpack the unlikely journey that took her from elite athletics to climate advocacy and, eventually, tech entrepreneurship. She reflects on how the Black Summer bushfires changed the course of her life, why she believes Australian democracy can work better, and what she learned building a political platform designed to remain fiercely neutral. They also discuss: Why younger Australians are engaging with politics differently Housing, cost of living and the rise of minor parties The challenge of remaining politically neutral in an increasingly polarised environment How social media has transformed political messaging Why Lizzie chose the not-for-profit path rather than trying to build the next tech unicorn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…

People in this episode

Host: Sylvia Jeffreys

Guest: Lizzie Hedding

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Build a Ballot

Places: Australia

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