Early voting in the Queensland election hints at a bleak outlook for the treasured democracy sausage.

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.

The number represents more than a quarter of the sunshine state’s 3.68 million eligible voters, eclipsing the tally of early voters in the 2020 election amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

One expert said the remarkable response indicated 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 said.

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, Mickel said 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 McConnell, where about 35,000 voters have already cast their ballots.

Mickel said there had been similar impressive turnouts 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,” 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.

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

The trend has also dramatically changed Queensland election campaigns.

“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,” 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 a two-week period 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 Crisafulli finally revealing his stance at Tuesday’s third and final debate.

Asked by Miles if he believed in a woman’s right to choose, Crisafulli said: “Yes – oh, that got you didn’t it?”

But Miles remained sceptical on Wednesday – and said Queenslanders should be too.

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

-with AAP