If you like this article, share it with your friends. From school playgrounds to an Antarctic research station, Aussies are preparing to sink their teeth into a national treasure. The humble democracy sausage will be back on the menu at more than 1,700 polling booths on Saturday, helping voters pump an estimated $4 million into community groups.
Former opposition leader Bill Shorten became a divisive figure in the democracy sausage world. During the 2016 election, outrage erupted when he turned his sausage roll on its side, and bit into it like a sandwich. “It was a crusty roll,” he told AAP this week.
“To eat it at the front, you needed the teeth of Jaws, so I made a relatively pragmatic decision to eat it from the side. “Apparently, that caused a scandal around the country.”Antarctic researcher Andy Warton and fellow expeditioners are planning one of Saturday’s first democracy sausage sizzles on Casey Station. After voting by telephone, the crew of 29 will indulge in a post-voting brunch, away from the outdoor sub-zero temperatures.
“Voting from Antarctica is a reminder that our voice matters, even if we’re at the end of the earth,” the station leader said. “The sausage sizzle is about raising morale because it brings us together for something different, and reminds us there’s a bigger picture out there.”Having a democracy sausage helps break down those barriers, one stall organiser says (Aap Image/AAP PHOTOS) In Bass Strait, councillor Rowan Cooke will fire up the barbecue for King Island’s first democracy sausage sizzle. Profits will go to the local social club.
He’s hoping the sausage sizzle brings the community together after primary employer King Island Dairy cut the number of workers on the island. “People don’t particularly like talking about politics because it does bring up strong emotions,” the councillor said. “But having a democracy sausage helps break down those barriers and allows people to loosen up around these topics.”All those donations will go to the club to help with the maintenance of their facilities, but I also just want to bring awareness that it is also a place where people can socialise and hang out.” About 7000 polling booths will open on Saturday with about a quarter linked to a sausage sizzle or bake sale on the official Democracy Sausage website.
The website began in 2013 after a group of West Australians realised there was no place to look up where polling place food stalls were located. Hello Australia! Are you ready for some sizzling fundraising action?
You can now add your you can now add your stalls for the 2025 Federal Election at https://t.co/s2Sx78tDCh. For more info, check out our media release: https://t.co/sepMipVLGm pic.twitter.com/PCjuvoTehj — Democracy Sausage (@DemSausage) April 11, 2025 Twelve years on, it helps direct thousands of voters to snags, sweets, and espressos. The website’s operators estimate stalls raised between $1,200 and $1,600 on average at the last federal election, rising above $3,000 in some instances.
Across the 2200 polling places in 2022, an estimated $4.1 million was raised after costs. But, despite its benefits, the traditional snack can trip up hungry voters. Shorten has stared down the backlash he received and says he still eats sausages the same way.”On Saturday, I’m going to eat the sausage the way I did in 2016 just to commemorate,” the former prime ministerial candidate said.
Early voters are also not expected to dampen the mood. Despite more than 5.5 million people voting before Saturday, organisers expect there won’t be a downturn in sales. READ MORE: The democracy sausage and the complex psychology of voting
