From free to $6: Australia’s cheapest and most expensive democracy sausages revealed

From $0 to $6 for a simple snag — the prices of the iconic democracy sausage have varied dramatically around the country. How much did you pay? SEE OUR LIST

Not even the humble democracy snag has been spared by inflation with some election day sausage sizzles setting voters back $6 each while one lucky electorate for their sausages for free.

This masthead investigated the price of a classic sandwich at different polling booths around the country to find some booths were charging double the price of others.

An Allegra Spender supporter holds a 'democracy sausage' at the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

South Australians and Victorians got a much better deal than many Sydney voters with the election day treat costing $3 at two polling booths in South Australia’s most marginal seat of Sturt.

In leafy Kooyong, an affluent electorate in Melbourne, voters paid only slightly more at $3.50 for a standard sausage with bread, onions and sauce at the Union Street polling booth.

Andrew Linn who is helping out at the sausage sizzle at Double Bay Public School on Election Day. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Voters in Tasmania paid $3 at two primary schools in the seat of Franklin and $4 at South Hobart Primary School in Clark.

Scenes at a polling station in Bradfield on election day. Photo: Tom Parrish

But the best deal of the nation was at Currie Town Hall on King Island in the Tasmanian electorate of Braddon where voters got free snags sponsored by a local councillor who had seen election day sausage sizzles disappear in recent years.

In Sydney prices varied dramatically with voters in Fowler’s Bonnyrigg High School and Bradfield’s Turramurra High School getting snags for $3.50 while those at Double Bay Public School in the seat of Wentworth paying $6 for the basic version.

Democracy sausage at Lyneham Primary School in Canberra Picture: Martin Ollman

But Double Bay locals got plenty of options with a menu showing a $7 sausage sandwich called Albacheesy among other choices.

Variety was also on offer at Erskineville Public School in the electorate of Sydney where a basic snag was $6 but a kosher-halal version with halloumi and egg cost $9.

Lee Tavener has a democracy sausage at Marrickville Public School. Picture: Damian Shaw

Local Labor MP Tanya Plibersek was given a special shout-out with her own themed dessert, named “White Choc and Macadamia ‘Plibersek’ Blondies”.

In Roseville, also in the seat of Bradfield, it was slightly better at $5 per sandwich.

Regional NSW voters got the same deal as their interstate counterparts with two polling booths in the south coast seat of Gilmore both charging $3.

Debates on acceptable pricing for the traditional delicacy were an unexpected hot topic while some people went the extra mile and rated their snags for fellow voters out of 10.

“Sauce: Tomato, applied with surgical precision by a teenager wearing a bucket hat. Bonus point for asking “sauce with that?” instead of assuming. 9/10,” one person said.

“Snags and onions were cooked perfectly, bread was perfectly basic. 10/10 but only because I live with the cook,” another person said.

Other outraged Aussies exposed upper end pricing in some areas including a $10 “Capitalist sausage” on a brioche bun in Melbourne.

“Seen at the Fitzroy voting line, what is this BS,” they said.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon arrive to vote in the general election at a polling station in a primary school in the suburb of Marrickville in Sydney on May 3, 2025. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)

How much voters paid for their democracy sausage:

Bonnyrigg High School, FOWLER: $3.50

Erskineville Public School, SYDNEY: $6

Roseville Public School, BRADFIELD: $5

Turramurra High School, BRADFIELD: $3.50

Double Bay Public School, WENTWORTH: $6

Clovelly Surf Club, WENTWORTH: $6

Paddington, WENTWORTH: $5

Ryde Public School, BENNELONG: $4

Denistone East Public School, BENNELONG: $5

Cecil Hills High School, Werriwa: $5

Union Street polling booth, KOOYONG: $3.50

Bombaderry Public School, GILMORE: $3

Sanctuary Point Public School, GILMORE: $3

Rose Park Primary School, STURT: $3

Magill Primary School, STURT: $3

Bellerive Primary School, FRANKLIN: $3

Blackmans Bay Primary School, FRANKLIN: $3

South Hobart Prime School, CLARK: $4

Currie Town Hall, BRADDON: FREE

Originally published as From free to $6: Australia’s cheapest and most expensive democracy sausages revealed