SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australians fired up barbecues and wore tight-fit swim trunks called “budgy smugglers” to voting centres as they welcomed election day on Saturday with some unique and quirky traditions.
Voters across the country grabbed a “democracy sausage”, which is sausages, burgers or other barbecued meat sold by volunteers at polling booths, as they turned out to cast their ballots.
This Australian election day ritual was a talking point on social media as voters posted pictures and videos with their snack in hand under the #democracysausage.
“Voted and did my civic duty of buying a #democracysausage,” one voter said on social media platform X.
Meanwhile, at polling booths near Australia’s famed beaches, including Bondi beach in Sydney, some swimmers cast their ballots after a dip wearing brief-style swimming trunks locally called “budgy smugglers”.
An Australian swim wear brand called Budgy Smuggler ran a campaign offering a free pair to the first 200 people who voted in smugglers.
Voting began on Saturday in Australia’s national election that polls show will likely favour Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over conservative challenger Peter Dutton, with voter appetite for change dampened by worries over U.S. tariffs and global economic uncertainty.
(Reporting by Cordelia Hsu, Zahra Matarani and Praveen Menon in Sydney; editing by Stephen Coates)
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