The search for Ballarat's best election sausage

So when the boss told us to take on a "different" type of report, I was quite relieved to find I would be sampling the culinary delights on offer at barbecues all around the Ballarat electorate.

We decided to tackle five sausages at random polling places around Ballarat and we were not let down.

All five had something to offer - a little crunch, a nice helping of gently-browned onion and a friendly smile directing us to the sauce bottle.

At Black Hill Primary School, volunteers were keen to get us to try their egg and bacon roll, as well as the traditional snag.

Photographer Justin Whitelock sampled the roll and gave it the thumbs up, while I tackled the first of five sausages for the morning.

Follow-up visits to Phoenix College in Sebastopol, Delacombe Primary School, Ballarat Grammar and Pleasant Street Primary School all offered up individual barbecued brilliance in bread.

Some schools offered up diced onion over the traditional rings, some offered up a selection of breads.

There was a barbecue sauce option at several places, but most stuck with the traditional "Big Red" variety.

Election day is always a bit tense for some, especially the rusted-on party tragics.

But there's no better way to ease that tension with a simple snag in bread with a generous helping of toppings.

So next election, don't be polite and say 'no thank you' to a sausage offer – spend your $2 and help out the local school.

It's the cheapest lunch you can imagine. 

The Courier will provide live coverage and video updates on the election tonight from 6.30pm.