Whenever Australians head to the polls, they are rewarded for their democratic diligence with a democracy sausage.
Democracy sausages, the sausages you buy from your polling place on Election Day, are an ever-popular staple of the Australian election scene, so much so that ‘democracy sausage’ was the ANU Australian National Dictionary Centre’s 2016 word of the year.
With expectations high, schools and community centres will be preparing electoral eats for voters on Saturday 18 May for the 2019 Federal Election. One of those venues is Southern Cross Early Childhood School in Scullin, with big plans to cater for the needs of all voters.
“It’s a really great fundraising opportunity for us,” says the school’s Parents and Citizens Association president Jess Yeo. “We wanted to meet a range of tastes in the community.”
As well as sausages, Southern Cross will be ensuring voters are well-fed with bacon and egg rolls, bircher muesli and pumpkin soup. There will also be games, a cake stall, a plant stall, lollies, drinks, a raffle and a chocolate toss game. There will be vegan, vegetarian and halal options, as well as EFTPOS facilities on the day.
“It’s a bit of fun and something a bit different,” Jess says. “We’re fundraising for a nature play area and a community garden.”
A little further south, North Ainslie Primary School will offer up a range of “democratically diverse” barbecue options for voters in Canberra, as well as a barista coffee cart and a cake stall.
Red Hill Primary School will be holding an all-day event with snags, cupcakes and entertainment.
For the voters of Bean, Gordon Primary School will hold their election day markets, with a variety of different stalls, as well as sausages, bacon and egg rolls, a cake stall and drinks, plus veggie and halal options.
The above list is by no means exhaustive, so check with your local polling place to see what democratic delicacies they’ll be offering. You can also check out what’s on offer, as well as register your democracy sausage sizzle, at democracysausage.org.
So, armed with your now extensive knowledge of your polling place’s culinary offerings (and your local candidates), the hardest choice you’ll have to make on 18 May is tomato or barbecue sauce. (Hint: it should be tomato sauce).
Polling places will be open 18 May 8am-6pm; to find your nearest polling place visit aec.gov.au
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