Queensland election early voting may spell the beginning of the end for the democracy sausage

The democracy sausage’s days may be numbered for some after a sizzling response to early voting in the Queensland election.

More than one million Queenslanders have already cast their vote before Saturday’s poll, with the Liberal National Party aiming to end Labor’s nine-year reign.

It represents more than a quarter of the Sunshine State’s 3.68 million eligible voters, eclipsing the number of early voters during the 2020 election amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

An expert said the remarkable response indicates elections were changing, sounding alarm bells for anyone who fancies a snag with their ballot paper.

Early voting has emerged as a key part of elections rather than just polling day, Queensland University of Technology’s Adjunct Professor John Mickel told AAP.

Queenslanders have been able to vote for almost two weeks, with pre-polling available from October 14 at about 200 centres across the state.

And trends indicate it might soon no longer be financially worthwhile to offer democracy sausages on election day.

Indeed, Prof Mickel warned some electorates should not bother firing up the barbecue at all on Saturday, judging by voting numbers to date.

He highlighted the central Brisbane seat of McConnel, where about 35,000 voters have already cast their ballots.

Prof Mickel said impressive responses had been recorded across the state, with 18,600 at Broadwater on the Gold Coast, 8465 at Bundaberg, 20,586 at Cairns and 21,746 in Hervey Bay.

“In McConnell ... if you’re setting up a sausage sizzle there on Saturday, don’t bother - you will be losing money,” he said.

But all is not lost for those who enjoy a snag served with bread, sauce, onions and a smile.

“In some places there’s still plenty of sausages to die in the name of democracy,” Prof Mickel said.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland has also processed about 690,000 postal votes ahead of Saturday’s poll.

Early voting has overtaken numbers during the pandemic when about 870,000 people cast their ballot by the second Tuesday of the 2020 campaign.

Prof Mickel said regional electorates are opting to vote early in large numbers and those trends are now trickling into metropolitan areas.

It has dramatically changed Queensland election campaigns as a result.

“What it means is that polling day is no longer a ‘day’. It starts on the 14th and culminates at 6pm on the 26th - campaigns have to adjust to that dynamic,” Prof Mickel said.

“What it means for political parties is once you just had to walk in on polling day yourself, and now resources are being stretched over two weeks and impacting the parties.”

Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli have spent a month-long campaign pushing key issues health, housing, youth crime and cost of living pressures.

Abortion has also emerged as a major talking point, with poll-leading LNP leader Mr Crisafulli finally revealing his stance at Tuesday’s third and final debate.

Asked by the premier if he believed in a woman’s right to choose, the opposition leader said: “Yes - oh, that got you didn’t it?”

But Mr Miles on Wednesday remained sceptical, and believed Queenslanders should be too.

“How do you go from staunchly pro-life to suddenly pro-choice?” he said.