Albeit a small sample size, if the polling is correct Premier Campbell Newman would receive a crushing defeat at the hands of Kate Jones in Ashgrove, with the poll handing Ms Jones 56 per cent of the vote after preferences. Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk will be Queensland's 39th premier, early exit polls suggest. The Galaxy numbers had the ALP leading the LNP statewide by just one percentage point (39 per cent to 38 per cent) on primary votes with a strong preference flow delivering 54 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote to Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk and her team. In Ashgrove, 48 per cent of voters surveyed said they had preferenced Labor challenger Ms Jones over Mr Newman. The figures showed she would take the seat comfortably with an 11.7 per cent swing after preferences.

The Greens would take 10 per cent of the vote statewide with the Palmer United Party managing 5 per cent and Katter's Australian Party just 2 per cent, according to the poll. LNP MPs were in shock as the exit poll results came down, which coincided with a freak summer storm, the skies outside the LNP campaign party turning grey as staffers struggled to come to terms with what the polls were pointing to. Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek was realistic about the early exit poll figures. "I'm not going to gild the lily, if these numbers for this exit poll, and it is very early, are correct then Annastacia Palaszczuk will be the premier," he said. "It's just that clear cut.

"It's like a complete reversal of the swing that happened in 2012 but even larger." Opposition environment spokeswoman Jackie Trad said she was cautious about interpreting the early poll, but said her party was ready to govern if the predictions bore out. "I think what you will see is you will see a very good mix of both experienced people coming back into the parliament and some seasoned fighters after the past three years that we've had with the overwhelming LNP majority, and I think you will see some very good new talent into the Queensland Parliament," she said. The LNP had remained optimistic throughout the campaign, with most party members relying on a last minute bump in support to see them through. But the past three years of cuts and combativeness have seemingly taken their toll, with not even Operation: Boring, the change in tact the government and Mr Newman made in its leadership style in July last year, enough to change voters minds.

The asset lease and privatisation plan the government was asking voters to approve played into the mood, with Queenslanders traditionally more attached to state-owned assets than the rest of the nation, but "broken promises", such as public servants having "nothing to fear", before mass cuts and a rising unemployment rate playing into the mood for change. The government came to power on the back of Mr Newman's popularity as Brisbane Lord Mayor, but in the past 18 months, senior LNP sources have acknowleded resting the brand on one man's shoulders "may have been a mistake". "As he went down, we went down with him," one said. "But I don't think anyone expected us to lose government over it. We'll wait and see what the voters say."

Ms Palaszczuk, who on Saturday night was being called the "accidental Premier" in LNP circles, ran her campaign with just eight other MPs. While light on policy detail, or plans for the future, Labor had run a convincing grassroots campaign a year out from the election, following in the footsteps of Wayne Goss, who took Queensland for Labor after decades of conservative rule, in 1989. She has run a strong local campaign this time, repeatedly attacking Mr Newman's for failing to listen to the concerns of his electorate. She continued the theme as she cast her vote at Payne Road State School in The Gap on Saturday morning, in between personally handing out how-to-vote cards alongside her troupe of volunteers. "This has been an intense campaign leading up to today, but for me the focus is talking to as many local people as they go in to have their say right up until 6pm tonight," Ms Jones said.

"What people are telling me, and I've literally spoken to thousands of people in this local community, is they feel let down by Campbell Newman." Locals greeted her warmly and wished her well in her bid to unseat the Premier. Half an hour earlier, Newmarket State School played host to Mr Newman, who cast his vote with wife Lisa at 9.30am in the school hall. If the Premier was feeling the pressure of recent bad polls, he wasn't showing it. After casting his vote and receiving a quick kiss on the lips from his wife, the Newmans happily chatted with punters at the voting centre.

"Some people don't like what we've done but we have turned frontline services around, our hospitals are working better today - the AMA say that," he said. "The state is safer with more police and strong laws which protect Queenslanders and our kids are getting a better deal. "We've done the very best for this state every single day for the last three years." - with Amy Remeikis, Kim Stephens and Kristian Silva Don't miss important news stories. Like us on Facebook.