The History of the Legendary ‘Democracy Sausage’ in Australia

A symbol of democracy down under 🌭

A sausage sizzle, hotdog or a snag. Whatever you call it, it’s pretty much rite of passage here in Australia to get a sausage sizzle after you’ve voted in an election.

Coined the ‘democracy sausage’ it feels like this voting day routine has been around forever. In 2025, you can even get your snag delivered via Uber Eats.

But what’s the actual history of the democracy sausage?

Voting day fundraisers have been around for ages.

Because voting in Australia was made compulsory in 1924, it meant polling places were a great place to run community fundraisers.

According to the Museum of Australian Democracy, in the late 1920s it was a place for the community to sell things like cakes, jams and other similar things. And when barbeques became more popular in the 1980s, the beloved Aussie sausage sizzle became a mainstay at polling places. 

Where did the term ‘democracy sausage’ come from?

Historian, Professor Judith Brett wrote in their 2019 book From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting, that at a Queensland election in 2010, some people set up a website for groups to register their election-day fundraising offerings. Which was not strictly a sausage sizzle.

Soon the term democracy sausage became part of Australia’s local lingo and was even crowned the Australian National Dictionary Centre’s word of the year in 2016.  

The democracy sausage now.

The symbol of Australian democracy is a sausage on a slice of bread. pic.twitter.com/TQ3wpHfgHi

— Michael Mazengarb (@MichaelM_ACT) April 28, 2025

It’s pretty much impossible now to vote in an election and not find a sausage sizzle stand outside.

Since it’s become so popular, some election day snag stalls now include vegan, halal, gluten-free, dairy-free and even sourdough bread if you’re lucky.

This year you can find your closest democracy sausage at the website democracysausage.org.

Despite the tensions of a federal election, it’s nice to know that no matter who you’re voting for, the democracy sausage is pretty much the one thing all Aussies can unite on.