Change in polling behaviour threatens to end Voters line up to have an early say

Townsville MP Scott Stewart at pre-polling. (Inset top) ) voters at a Townsvile T il pre-polling lli booth; (bottom) Thuringowa KAP candidate Joshua Schwarz. Pictures: ALIX SWEENEY

MORE than a hundred thousand Queenslanders have already cast their vote, in an unprecedented turnout on day one of early voting.

The latest Electoral Commission of Queensland figures revealed that as of 3.30pm yesterday more than 3 per cent of the state’s 3.3 million voters had already cast their ballot.

Comparatively, about 11 per cent of all votes were lodged at pre-polling centres at the 2017 state election.

But the historic surge in voters heading to the polls early could leave some with “buyer’s remorse” and perhaps over time result in the unceremonious natural death of the democracy sausage sizzle, according to a Queensland political analyst.

Griffith University political scientist Dr Paul Williams said the popularity of pre-polling, escalated amid coronavirus fears, had altered political messaging and the timing of major announcements.

He warned some early voters could be left with “buyer’s remorse” as they would miss the party’s policy costings and any potential major gaffes made by either leader within the next fortnight.

With the move to “election periods” instead of “election days”, by the ECQ’S estimates just 30 per cent of voters could be left to cast their ballot on October 31.

Dr Williams argued this could mean the modern tradition of the democracy sausage sizzle, which community groups use to fundraise on election day, could fizzle out.

And voters shouldn’t expect any more major policy announcements from the Labor or LNP camps.

“It may be the case that the sausage sizzle dies a natural death,” he said.

“What we’ve really seen this year is, even before the writs were issued, the big announcements have been made … the