
From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage
How Australia Got Compulsory Voting
$29.75
- Paperback
224 pages
- Release Date
8 September 2026
Summary
The lively, fascinating history of compulsory voting in Australia is now in a second edition, featuring new content about the Teal independents and an index.
“This is the story of a young democracy that is unique. A thrilling and valuable book.” - Annabel Crabb
It’s compulsory to vote in Australia. We are one of a handful of countries in the world that enforce this rule at election time, and the only English-speaking country that makes its citizens vote. Not only that, we embr…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781923670099 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1923670093 |
| Author: | Judith Brett |
| Publisher: | Text Publishing |
| Imprint: | The Text Publishing Company |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 224 |
| Release Date: | 8 September 2026 |
| Weight: | 286g |
| Dimensions: | 21mm x 153mm x 233mm |

Critics Review
‘This is the story of a young democracy that is unique. A thrilling and valuable book.’ * Annabel Crabb *
‘This book unravels mysteries, and explains the quirks and triumphs of Australia. It answers questions you didn’t even know you had. I learned something on every page.’ * Waleed Aly *
‘This absorbing book explains a century-old institution, how it came to be, and how it survives.’ * Antony Green *
‘Brett’s writing is capable of extraordinary clarity, insight and compassion.’ * Monthly *
‘Magnificent…an excellent, fast-moving narrative establishing how Australia became one of the world’s pre-eminent democracies.’ * Weekend Australian *
‘As Brett’s splendid book reminds us, the fundamentals of our electoral system should make us all proud.’ * Sydney Morning Herald *
‘A tremendous piece of work.’ * ABC Radio National: Minefield *
‘[A] brief but seriously compelling history of how we do democracy… riveting.’ * Courier Mail *
‘[Brett’s] fascinating story of how we vote also discloses larger truths about what we are like as a people.’ * Australian Book Review *
Judith Brett
Judith Brett is a political historian and biographer and emeritus professor of politics at La Trobe University.
Among her books are:
- Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People: Australian Liberals and the Moral Middle Class
- The Enigmatic Mr Deakin, which won the 2018 National Biography Award
- From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award
Returns
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