US EditionHow the democracy sausage, a polling day snack, became Australia's election symbol
- Many Australians on election day in 2025 gathered at polling places across the country to vote while enjoying a democracy sausage, a grilled meat snack served at polling booths.
- This tradition emerged from nearly a century of fundraising sausage sizzles at polling stations and has become a national symbol reflecting Australian civic participation and humor.
- In 2022, volunteers sold democracy sausages—typically served in white bread with condiments like onions and ketchup—at around 2,200 polling locations across Australia, raising over 4 million Australian dollars for community causes.
- Alex Dawson, spokesperson for democracysausage.org, noted the website tracks snack locations to help voters and said the event "binds everyone together," including younger generations and tourists seeking the snack.
- Despite increased early voting records, the democracy sausage remains integral to election day culture, continuing to connect Australians socially as they fulfill their compulsory voting duties.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Australian voters feast on 'democracy sausage'
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Many Australians arriving at polling places on Saturday followed their civic duty by eating what's become known as a democracy sausage, a cultural tradition as Aussie as koalas and Vegemite, and for some just as important…
What’s the democracy sausage, Australia’s favourite election day tradition?
As Australia queued up to cast their polls on Saturday, the quirky tradition of having a ‘democracy sausage’ after voting was largely followed. Over the years, the snack has become a national symbol for electoral participation and part of the nation’s election day culture. The phrase was even chosen as Australia’s Word of the Year in 2016. But how did it become so significant? We explain
Democracy Sausage, Voting In Swimsuits: Bizarre Polling Trends In Australia
Not just in Australia, but these democracy sausages are also served at polling places for citizens abroad at Australian embassies in New York, Riyadh, Nairobi and Tokyo, and even at a research station in Antarctica.
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