‘Democracy sausage’ and voting in swimsuits: Australia’s unique voting day traditions

In Australia, voting is not just a civic duty — it’s a cultural experience that comes with grilled sausages and, occasionally, swimsuits. As Australians headed to the polls on Saturday for the national elections, familiar scenes returned: snaking queues outside polling booths, sizzling barbecues, and voters casting ballots in everything from board shorts to bathers.

At the heart of this tradition lies the beloved “democracy sausage” — a humble grilled sausage served on white bread with onions and tomato sauce. Though simple in appearance, this snack has grown into a national icon, symbolising the light-hearted but sincere spirit of Australian democracy. Offered at nearly every polling station, the democracy sausage is seen as a unifying snack for a nation that takes its voting rights seriously.

What began as a local fundraiser has now become folklore. In fact, sausages are also served at polling places abroad — including embassies in cities like New York, Riyadh, Nairobi, and even at an Australian research station in Antarctica. So integral is this tradition that a website, democracysausage.org, tracks sausage stalls in real-time on polling day.

For politicians, biting into a democracy sausage has become a photo-op moment. Snaps of candidates awkwardly chewing through bread and onions have become meme material and a staple of election day media coverage. The sausage, many believe, is a symbol of political humility — a cheap snack that shows leaders are still just people.

Adding to the colour of election day is the unofficial tradition of voting in swimwear. While there’s no law mandating a dress code at polling places, beachside voters, especially in areas like Bondi, often turn up in "budgie smugglers" — a style of tight-fitting swimwear. The tradition took off when a local swimwear brand offered free trunks to early voters, and since then, it has stuck as an eccentric but accepted expression of Aussie casualness.

This year’s election saw voters weigh in amid global economic tensions, including U.S. tariffs that dampened calls for change. Current projections suggest Labour Prime Minister Anthony Albanese holds an advantage over conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton, but the true winner — at least culturally — may be the democracy sausage itself.