Where are the sausages? And why Tuesday? How US election day compares with Australia

Australia's compulsory voting contrasts with increasingly restrictive voting rules in the US - just one of many differences between the two democracies

You don't get the day off, but it is on a weekday in winter; there's no sausage sizzle; and, well, the loser might not accept the result. Elections in America are hard yakka.

Here is how they compare with Australia's.