Have sausage, will vote! – Australia’s unique voting system

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Judith Brett and her book

Andrew Pople talks with Judith Brett about her book “From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage – How Australia got Compulsory Voting”.

During Federation talks, the colonies almost fell out over different voting rules, with South Australia in particular threatening to walk if its very liberal and progressive laws were not embraced.

Judith Brett recounts the highs and lows of the system developed to what it is today – did you know that voting wasn’t compulsory until after the first war?

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