So I went and voted at the Croydon Senior Citizens Club, mostly because that’s the one where Andrew is working today, and I know how to get to it easily. I voted Green in the Senate (just as I did in the Federal election). I voted Liberal in the lower house, not because I especially care for the Libs, but because I do like our local member (who happens to be Liberal) and because I’m utterly fed up with Mr Brumby and his idiot Minister for Planning, Justin Madden, who seems to delight in the destruction of heritage buildings (I’ve written on that topic before, of course). There are plenty of reasons I don’t like Brumby, of course (Myki fiasco, anyone?). Madden is just one of them.

There was a queue, and it was raining lightly, but Zoë and I had umbrellas, and the queue wasn’t too terribly long. I always take a “how to vote” pamphlet from anyone handing them out, partly to be polite, and partly because it’s nobody’s business who I’m voting for (at least when I’m actually there doing it; once I’ve done it, I don’t care who knows), and, hey, I just stick them in my bag and recycle them later, anyway, so I may as well. At least I know they’re being recycled.

The shocking thing, though, is that there were no snags to be seen, or smelled. None! Not a sausage! No one grilling and selling sausages-inna-bun (okay, usually it’s bread, but I had to get in that gratuitous Pratchett reference).

While following the election on Twitter, I was shocked and alarmed by the number of reports coming in from people who said their polling centre had no sausage sizzle. What is this outrage?! No sausages?! What the hell, Victoria?! Getting a sausage is one of the rewards for voting! Well, unless you’re vegetarian/vegan, I suppose. But I’m an omnivore, and while I wasn’t especially interested in having a sausage (I went after lunch), the lack of sausageness is disturbing, and downright unaustralian, if you ask me. As noted by Stephen McDonald, “Sausages, onion and HB pencils are the smells of democracy.” (Too right, mate.)

Apparently, there were sausage sizzles (and cake stalls and so on) in some places, though, so at least there’s still some semblance of normality in the State: Victorian Election Sausage Sizzles (on a handy map!)

So there we go. Unless things go the way the Federal election went, we should know in a few hours if Brumby et al are still going to be in power or if we have a new Premier. I’m actually most interested to see how the Greens do. In the Federal election, Melbourne actually elected a Greens MP (first time ever), so it should be interesting to see if that pro-Greens sentiment plays out on the State level, as well.

Oh, and I should mention that I’m not all that emotionally invested in the election. Yeah, it’s true, I think Justin Madden is a moron, and I’m not at all keen on Brumby, but, honestly, one politician is pretty much like another, with only minor variations.

The lack of sausages, on the other hand…

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