Will You Score a Democracy Sausage When You Vote in the Voice Referendum? A Review

October 10, 2023

Two democracy sausages. — Getty Images / The Latch

Democracy sausages: The sammies that keep Australia running. The sizzle that makes voting more special. The snags that Aussies cook, commemorate, and gobble up every election day.

At this point, the influence of the democracy sausage is practically immeasurable. Even before the term was invented, these sangas were the cornerstone of the zeitgeist. During the 1980s, portable gas barbecues became a staple of our election cycles, and our sausages came along for the ride.

By 2011, “election sausage sizzles” had morphed into “democracy sausages.” What’s more, these feeds have only grown in popularity since then. In 2016, “democracy sausage” was the Australian National Dictionary Centre’s word of the year.

However, in 2023, a cultural tension is brewing. On 14 October, a referendum vote is being held. The people of Australia are voting on whether or not an Indigenous Voice to Parliament should be established. They are voting if a group of First Nations people should advise the government on First Nations issues.

Some of these voters are worried that their 14 October won’t be a democracy sausage bonanza. They are concerned that democracy sausages are only reserved for election days, not referendums.

Now, while this issue is not the most pressing problem this October, it’s still a topic worth a deep dive. Will Australia’s Voice referendum star democracy sausage sizzles? Or should you eat before you drive to the polls? It’s time to bite into this knowledge sandwich.

The Voice Referendum + Democracy Sausage Collab

Democracy Sausage: A resource that maps the voting places that sell sausage sandwiches and cakes each election cycle. That’s right, Democracy Sausage and democracy sausages are two different things. Confusing, we know,

According to Democracy Sausage, there will be a number of sizzles up and running on October 14. It will be possible to grab a snag after you vote in the Voice referendum.

However, your chances of getting a democracy sausage might be slimmer than usual. As per Democracy Sausage’s data, only 50 of the voting centres on its map have declared that they’ll be selling some sausages on October 14. This is only 0.7% of Democracy Sausage’s listed centres.

Meanwhile, in the Federal Election of 2022, Democracy Sausage’s map was filled to the brim with 2305 sizzles. According to their research, 43.4% of all eligible voters were guaranteed a sammie.

Now, it’s worth noting that Democracy Sausage isn’t the Bible. Not every Voice sausage sizzle will be listed on this map. But, while this is the case, it’s a shame that this map is so sparse. It’s a shame planning a sanga run will be more difficult than during the Federal Election in 2022.

If you want to learn if there will be a sausage sizzle in your neck of the woods on October 14, click the link here.

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