Mention that it’s election day, and you’ll often be met with moans and grumbles from people who would really rather not interrupt their Saturday routine to stand in line and make their mark on a ballot paper. But for Orange’s Nick Bolton, each election day has become an eagerly anticipated holiday where he makes his way from polling place to polling place on the hunt for the best sausage sizzles and baked goods stalls on offer.

“2010, I was living in Sydney at the time,” says Nick, explaining how his fascination with what he calls ‘election food’ began.

Popping out to vote in the 2010 federal election, Nick grabbed a sausage sandwich at the fundraising barbecue put on by the local school, which was his nearest polling place.

But then, a thought occurred to him…

“Where we were living on the northern beaches there were four schools there, so I went to all the four schools, as you do. From then on, every election, I just spend my election day going around to all the schools,” says Nick, who now makes it a mission to sample what each school stall has to offer, whether it be bacon and egg rolls, cakes, slices or sausage sandwiches.

“So, I pre-voted on the Saturday when they first opened it,” says Nick, who explains that there is little time to waste on election day itself.

“Most barbecues finish by, you know, 12 to 1 o'clock, so you got to get around… So I normally do a post a week out on Facebook, and all my friends let me know who's running something and then on the Friday, I work out my route, where I'm going to go.”

The Saturday past being a local government election made planning slightly easier, Nick says, as there are generally fewer stalls and barbecues put on by local schools.

“When you have your state and federal elections, more schools get involved. Like at the last state election, I think I've got to 15 places. The federal one, I got to 18,” says Nick, although he admits one of those 18, doesn’t quite count as an ‘election food’ stop.

“Clergate weren't doing the polling booth, but they were running the Bunnings barbecue, so I even went to the Bunnings barbecue, just because Clergate were hosting it,” he says.

For last Saturday’s election day, Nick had planned a route starting in Spring Hill and finishing in Mullion Creek. He and his children, who have begun to join him on his polling booth crawl, were on the road at 7.40am to ensure they’d arrive at Spring Hill when the polls (and food stall) opened at 8am.

“So Spring Hill only had cakes, they didn't run a barbecue, but there's nothing wrong with cake… so that's where I got my Rocky Road from and the kids got a box of little cupcakes,” recalls Nick, detailing his travels on Saturday.

“Then I went to Anson Street Public School, but they weren't set up, so I zoomed out to Canobolas Public and they only just had the barbecue started, so I bought a thing of these yummy chocolate cupcakes with snakes on them. Oh man!

“Calare School; really nice sausage sandwiches there and a Honey Joy from there… then it was to OPS, I had a bacon and egg roll there.”

Orange High School only had their cafe operating, and not being a coffee drinker, Nick next headed over to Bowen.

“They just had a barbecue and I had a good sausage sandwich there,” he continues.

“We left Bowen and went to Bletchinton, that's where I had a bacon and egg roll and a sausage sandwich… zoomed all the way to Mullion Creek, they have good stuff there, but the kids were all tuckered out, I still forced myself to have a bacon and egg roll there.

“Then, because we’d missed Anson Street, we zoomed back into town, and I got chocolates there, bought a couple of raffle tickets and a zucchini relish — because they don't really have a barbecue running.”

Nick documents his food finds on social media, and his election-day quests have become closely followed by friends who decide where they are going to vote based on Nick’s food recommendations.

“How I looked at it… you know how everyone goes, ‘Ugh, I got to vote.’ It shouldn't be like that, everyone's got to vote, but you can make it a fun time as well,” says Nick

“And I'm enjoying helping out the schools. When there's an election on, it’s like the school's big fundraisers. I just think it’s great; you're helping out, seeing what's out and about and having a fun time.”

So where is the best food to be found on election day?

“The best sausage on Saturday? I would have to say Bowen School; they did a good sausage! Nashdale does a great barbecue! Nashdale is always up there, but they didn't have one this year,” says Nick regretfully.

“Over the years… Oh! There was a parent who made this awesome rocky road at Canobolas Public. I was disappointed there was no Rocky Road there this year, but in saying that Spring Hill's Rocky Road was really good!”