Democracy sausage facts for kids
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Democracy sausages are a fun and tasty tradition in Australia! On election day, when Australians go to vote, they often find stalls selling sausages cooked on a barbecue. These sausages are usually served in a slice of bread, sometimes with sauce. People buy them to help raise money for local schools, community halls, or churches where the voting takes place. It's a unique part of Australian elections.
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What Are Democracy Sausages?
A "democracy sausage" is simply a sausage in a piece of bread. You buy it from a "sausage sizzle" stall. These stalls are set up at many voting places across Australia on election day. They are a way for local groups to raise money. In 2016, almost one-third of all voting places had a sausage stand.
A Tasty Tradition
Selling food at voting places has been a tradition for a long time. There are photos from the 1920s showing cake stalls at election booths. Sausages started appearing in the early 1980s. This was when portable barbecue grills became more common. The phrase "democracy sausage" first appeared on social media around the 2013 Western Australian state election. However, people probably used the phrase when talking even earlier.
Why Are They So Popular?
The democracy sausage became very well-known in Australian culture. In 2016, before the federal election, Twitter even changed its emoji for #ausvotes. It went from a ballot box to a sausage on white bread with sauce! In December 2016, the Australian National Dictionary Centre chose "democracy sausage" as its Australian Word of the Year.
Australians always vote on a Saturday. Also, voting is compulsory, meaning everyone must vote. This means many people turn up for both state and federal elections. Many voting places are in schools, community halls, or churches. These groups use the large crowds to set up fundraising stalls. For many community groups, this is their biggest fundraising event of the year.
More Than Just Sausages
You can find more than just a plain sausage in bread at some election day stalls. Voters can also buy vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free options. Other food items like cakes and drinks, such as coffee, are also available.
Many websites and social media accounts have been created. They help people find out which voting places have stalls. They also show what food will be available. This helps voters choose a place to vote based on their food choices. At the 2016 federal election, one website reported over 2,300 voting booths had sausages or cakes. Another site recorded over 2,000. This shows how popular these stalls are!
Some cake stalls sell fun, themed sweets. These sweets often have names that are a play on politicians' names. For example, you might see "Alba-Cheesy Cakes" or "Jacqui Lambingtons." It adds a bit of humor to election day.
See also
- Elections in Australia
- Politics of Australia
