Election 2016: Three million Queenslanders to vote and gobble down 3.5m sausages

Updated

Queensland's 1,200 polling booths have opened for today's federal election, with more than 3 million Queenslanders to cast their vote.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has employed 14,000 staff in Queensland to get through the election.

AEC spokesman Evan Smith said more than 500,000 Queenslanders voted early.

"Across the country we have about 7,000 polling places and that takes the grand total of about 75,000 AEC staff members, so it's an incredibly large logistical operation," he said.

Mr Smith said there would be no speedy result for the Senate.

This article includes interactive enhancements which are not supported on this platform. For the full interactive experience in this article, you will need a modern web browser with JavaScript enabled. Find out more about browser support at ABC News Online. Qld election preview See what's in store for QLD

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There is a mantra both major parties fight by — "if the swing is on in Queensland, it's on".

The two-party preferred swing will likely be against the Coalition, ensuring the contest is fought in the Government's marginal seats.

Hence why both leaders and their deputies have spent significant time campaigning in the Sunshine State.

Electorates to watch 14 of the 30 seats in Queensland are marginal seats.

Four Coalition seats are in play: Petrie, Brisbane, Capricornia and Herbert.

and Only Petrie (LNP 0.5 per cent) - the LNP's most marginal seat - and the critical mining seat of Capricornia (LNP 0.8 per cent) look likely to fall.

(LNP 0.5 per cent) - the LNP's most marginal seat - and the critical mining seat of (LNP 0.8 per cent) look likely to fall. Labor's most marginal seat this election is Wayne Swan's seat of Lilley (ALP 1.3 per cent).

(ALP 1.3 per cent). Griffith (ALP 3.0 per cent) is causing Labor some heartache but it expects to hold the seat.

Labor on the offense

Vote Compass data recently revealed that

The ALP is targeting nine seats in Queensland stretching from the far north of the state to suburban Brisbane.

Queensland is now consistently Labor's weakest state at federal elections and a happy hunting ground for the Coalition.

Labor is battling a "Turnbull effect" in Brisbane that is being noted around the country: the closer an electorate is to the centre of a city the greater the appeal of the prime minister.

The Palmer United Party legacy Photo: What's in store for your state? (AAP: Dan Peled)



Clive Palmer announced in early May that he would not re-contest his Queensland seat of Fairfax - thus the seat is handed to LNP (11.7 per cent).

Where the 11 per cent of Queenslanders that voted PUP in 2013 go in 2016 will determine how the election unfolds in QLD, where the instability produced by a minority State Parliament has created uncertainty. There is a mantra both major parties fight by — "if the swing is on in Queensland, it's on".The two-party preferred swing will likely be against the Coalition, ensuring the contest is fought in the Government's marginal seats.Hence why both leaders and their deputies have spent significant time campaigning in the Sunshine State.Vote Compass data recently revealed that Queensland is the country's most conservative state with 9 out of the 10 most right-leaning electorates in Australia.The ALP is targeting nine seats in Queensland stretching from the far north of the state to suburban Brisbane.Queensland is now consistently Labor's weakest state at federal elections and a happy hunting ground for the Coalition.Labor is battling a "Turnbull effect" in Brisbane that is being noted around the country: the closer an electorate is to the centre of a city the greater the appeal of the prime minister.Clive Palmer announced in early May that he would not re-contest his Queensland seat ofthus the seat is handed to LNP (11.7 per cent).Where the 11 per cent of Queenslanders that voted PUP in 2013 go in 2016 will determine how the election unfolds in QLD, where the instability produced by a minority State Parliament has created uncertainty.

"The AEC will count first preferences on Senate ballot papers on election night and that will give some sort of indication as to a few of the vacancies," he said.

"Remember it's a double dissolution election this time, so there is actually 12 vacancies, but for the final result for all 12 senators for Queensland going forward that will take a couple of weeks.

"The AEC has got actually up until August 8 to return the writs for the election, so up until August 8 to finalise the results."

Sausage sizzles fire up

Volunteers will also fire up barbecues at polling booths as Queensland voters prepare to gobble down 3.5 million sausages.

There is a "double dissolution" sausage sizzle underway at The Gap State High School in Brisbane's north-west, offering two bangers for your buck.

The SnagVotes economy is worth more than $3 million to butchers in Queensland and will bring in more than $6 million to the state's P&Cs, churches and community groups.

University of Queensland communications expert Dr John Harrison said the election day sausage sizzle was an Aussie institution.

"Part of it is the sheer relief of having discharged one's civic duty," he said.

"And of course every marginal electorate will have some pork today — some pork barrelling — that has come from the Opposition or the Government.

"Also the great thing about having such a big Senate ballot paper is that you can put two or three sausages inside your how-to-vote card on the way out."

This year, for the first time Google has loaded up a sausage sizzle interactive election map.

It details where people can find every kind of snag on offer — from gourmet to halal to vegetarian.

It also details where the cake stalls are and the odd polling booth that is selling hot soup.

Twitter is also mapping the snag voting sites.

Topics: federal-elections, elections, people, qld

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