What is a democracy sausage?
A democracy sausage is a sausage in bread sold at a barbecue stall at a polling place on election day in Australia. These sausage sizzles, usually run by schools or community groups, have become a beloved election tradition.
Because voting is compulsory and elections are held on Saturdays, many polling places are in schools and community halls. Groups use the opportunity to raise money by selling sausages, cakes and drinks to voters.
The sausage is typically served in a slice of white bread with fried onions and tomato or barbecue sauce.
A national symbol
The term democracy sausage became popular in the 2010s, and websites and social media maps were created to show which polling places had sausage sizzles. In 2016, the Australian National Dictionary Centre chose democracy sausage as its word of the year.
Politicians are often photographed eating democracy sausages on election day, and journalists sometimes judge how they eat them.
Cake stalls, coffee vans and vegetarian options are also common. The tradition reflects the community spirit of Australian elections, where voting is combined with a social outing and fundraising for local causes.