State General Election Updates
For all media enquiries please email media@ecq.qld.gov.au or phone 0438 120 699.
The media information kit PDF (0.82 MB) for the 2020 State general election.
November
Monday 16 November
The ECQ has returned the Writ to the Governor, formally notifying of the candidates elected in the 2020 State general election.
View the results on the ECQ website here: http://results.elections.qld.gov.au/state2020
Election summary returns
Candidates, donors and third parties have 15 weeks from the date of the election to return their summary returns.
Broadcasters and publishers must lodge election summary returns within 8 weeks after the election.
Saturday 14 November
The ECQ has declared the result in Hervey Bay.
The results for all 93 electorates are now declared.
View the results on the ECQ website here:
http://results.elections.qld.gov.au/state2020
Full preference counts
Full preference distributions are currently being completed for the final electorates, and results will be published on the website.
Return of the Writ
On Monday 16 November, the ECQ is expecting to return the Writ to the Governor, formally concluding the conduct of the 2020 State general election.
Follow us on Twitter for updates and declarations.
Friday 13 November
The ECQ declared results in eight electorates yesterday, and four electorates today.
Recounts in Nicklin and Bundaberg are complete, and these results are among those declared today.
92 of 93 electorates have now been declared and the ECQ is expecting to be able to declare the final result over the weekend.
Declarations are announced progressively on Twitter, and full election results are available at www.ecq.qld.gov.au/results.
Full preference counts
Full preference distribution counts have been completed on more than two thirds of electorates.
Full preference distributions will be completed in every electorate, and results will be published on the website when the count is complete.
Election updates are published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics are published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates and declarations.
Thursday 12 November
The ECQ declared results in 50 electorates yesterday, and a further 8 today.
88 of 93 electorates have now been declared.
Declarations are announced progressively on Twitter, and full election results are available at www.ecq.qld.gov.au/results.
Recounts underway
Recounts are underway in the electorates of Bundaberg and Nicklin.
As soon as a result is determined and the usual declaration processes are undertaken, the ECQ will announce the successful candidates on the ECQ’s website and across its social media channels.
Full preference counts
The ECQ has declared results in electorates when the outcome of the official count is mathematically certain, and an absolute majority is reached.
In some cases this has been clear before the full preference count has been completed.
Full preference distributions will be completed in every electorate, and results will be published on the website when the count is complete.
Election updates are published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics are published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates and declarations.
Tuesday 11 November
The ECQ declared results in 25 electorates yesterday, and a further 16 today.
Further declarations are expected this evening, as election staff will be working late in order to include the final postal votes in the count and progress the distribution of preferences.
Declarations are announced progressively on Twitter, and full election results are available at www.ecq.qld.gov.au/results.
Distribution of preferences
The ECQ will declare results in remaining electorates when the outcome of the official count is mathematically certain, and an absolute majority is reached.
This may be possible before the full preference count is completed, in which case, a declaration will be made, and the full preference count will continue.
Details of the full preference counts will be published on the results website when the count is complete.
Learn more about counting the votes PDF (0.34 MB).
Election updates are published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics are published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates and declarations.
Tuesday 10 November
The ECQ has declared results in 8 electorates where the outcome on the first preference count is mathematically certain, following the inclusion of further postal, absent and declaration votes.
Declared electorates include Bundamba, Condamine, and Lytton. Election results are available here.
Further declarations are likely this evening, as election staff will be working late in order to include the final postal votes in the count and progress the distribution of preferences
The final postal votes have been received at the ECQ’s postal hubs in Townsville and Parkinson ahead of tonight’s deadline. These will be sorted by electorate and sent by direct drive courier to each Returning Officer. Any postal votes received after today cannot be included in the count.
Around 82 per cent of postal votes have been returned, and a further 10 per cent of people who applied for a postal vote chose to vote in person instead. That leaves just 8 per cent of postal votes outstanding.
This compares to a total of around 85 per cent of postal votes returned in the 2017 State general election. There were almost 900,000 postal votes issued for the 2020 State general election, compared with around 367,000 postal votes for the 2017 State general election.
Distribution of preferences
The ECQ will declare results in remaining electorates when the outcome of the official count is mathematically certain, and an absolute majority is reached.
This may be possible before the full preference count is completed, in which case, a declaration will be made, and the full preference count will continue.
Details of the full preference counts will be published on the results website when the count is complete.
Learn more about counting the votes. PDF (0.34 MB)
Election updates are published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics are published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates and declarations.
Monday 9 November
The count continues, and election staff will be working late into the evening tomorrow and Wednesday, in order to include the final postal votes in the count and progress the distribution of preferences count.
Around 86 per cent of potential votes have been counted. This figure compares the number of votes counted with the number of electors. As not every elector will vote, this figure will not reach 100 per cent .
The final postal votes received at the ECQ’s postal hubs in Townsville and Parkinson before the deadline of 6pm, Tuesday 10 November, will be sorted by electorate and sent by direct drive courier to each Returning Officer.
When postal votes arrive, they will be scrutinised, and, if they are correctly witnessed and signed by an enrolled elector who hasn’t already been marked off the roll, they will be included in the count.
Distribution of preferences
Declarations can only be made when the result of the official count is mathematically certain and an absolute majority is reached.
Most often an absolute majority is not reached on the official first preference count and therefore a full preference count is required for a declaration to be made.
To progress to a full distribution of preferences count, it must be clear which candidate has the fewest votes, so that their votes can be reallocated to the second preference candidate selected on each ballot paper.
Where there are a lot of candidates contesting within a State district, it may not be clear until all the votes have been counted which candidate has the fewest first preference votes in order to commence the distribution of preferences.
For example, in the State district of Maroochydore nine candidates contested the election. While one candidate is in the lead, this candidate has less than 50 per cent of the first preference votes, and so the ECQ cannot declare the result.
If this is still the case when all remaining first preference votes are counted, the Returning Officer (RO) for Maroochydore will commence distributing preferences. The RO will examine each ballot paper of the lowest ranked candidate and allocate it to the candidate with the number ‘2’ beside their name. The RO will continue this until all the ballot papers for the candidate with the least number of first preference votes has been allocated in line with the electors’ preference on each ballot paper.
The RO will then determine which candidate of the remaining 8 candidates now has the lowest number of first and second preference votes. This process continues until all the preference votes have been allocated to the two candidates with the highest number of votes, including all of the preference votes that have been distributed. One of those candidates will have the majority and will be declared the elected candidate at that time.
In the example used for Maroochydore, the distribution of preferences cannot commence. There are postal votes still outstanding as at 9 November and the cut-off day for the return of postal votes is Tuesday. Therefore, the RO cannot yet determine which of the three candidates with the fewest votes should be eliminated, as there are only 100 votes between them, and just three votes between the ninth and eighth candidate.
The order of exclusion of candidates is important, because it can change the relative ranking within the pool of candidates (i.e. who should be ‘excluded’ from the count) and ultimately where the preferences should be distributed. In some instances, the RO is able to declare the result after one or two exclusions of candidates, however in other cases, the full preference count will be the only way to determine the result.
Learn more about counting the votes.
The ECQ results website will continue to be updated as soon as new results data is available as the count progresses.
Postal votes
With one business day before the deadline for the return of postal votes, 82 per cent of those issued have already been returned.
This compares to a total of around 85 per cent of postal votes returned in the 2017 State general election. There were almost 900,000 postal votes issued for the 2020 State general election, compared with around 367,000 postal votes for the 2017 State general election.
The ECQ is aware that around 100,000 electors who requested a postal vote chose instead to vote in person or by telephone.
Election timetable
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Friday 6 November
The ECQ has declared the results in the electorate of Algester. See the results here.
Results have now been declared in 5 of the 93 electorates.
Counting in the State general election will continue over the weekend, where ballot papers are available to count.
Around 85 per cent of potential votes have been counted. This figure compares the number of votes counted with the number of electors. As not every elector votes, this figure will not reach 100 per cent.
Declarations can only be made when the result of the official count is mathematically certain. In most electorates that have not already been declared, the ECQ will need to wait until the deadline for the return of postal votes on Tuesday, 10 November and undertake a distribution of preferences before officially declaring the result.
The ECQ results website will continue to be updated as soon as new results data is available as the count progresses.
Postal votes
Around 82 per cent of the postal votes issued have already been returned, with two more business days until the deadline.
This compares to a total of around 85 per cent of postal votes returned in the 2017 State general election. There were almost 900,000 postal votes issued for the 2020 State general election, compared with around 367,000 postal votes for the 2017 State general election.
The ECQ is aware that around 100,000 electors who requested a postal vote chose instead to vote in person or by telephone.
Postal votes continue to be returned to the ECQ, although the rate of return votes has slowed dramatically, with just over 2000 postal votes arriving back to the ECQ this morning. This compares to previous figures of more than 100,000 a day.
Postal votes must be received by the ECQ by 6pm Tuesday 10 November to be included in the count.
Distribution of preferences
For the full count to be completed, a full distribution of preferences needs to be undertaken for each electorate, in accordance with Queensland’s system of full preferential voting. This requires the allocation of preferences from candidates with fewer votes to the leading candidates.
To progress to a full distribution of preferences count, it must be clear which candidate has the fewest votes, so that their votes can be reallocated to the second preference candidate selected on each ballot paper.
Where there are a lot of candidates contesting an election, the count may need to pause to wait for more votes to be available before it is clear which candidate has the fewest first preference votes. Based on current count status, the distribution of preferences to determine is likely to occur after the deadline for return of postal votes on Tuesday, 10 November.
Learn more about counting the votes.
Declaration votes
Declaration vote scrutiny also continues with fewer than 9000 declaration votes remaining to be processed.
A declaration vote is made when an elector’s stated details cannot be matched on the electoral roll at the time of voting. During the count, electoral officers recheck the voter’s details against an updated roll. Where details can be matched, the ballots can be sent to their home electorate if required, and included in the count.
Absent votes
The majority of votes cast outside of the elector’s enrolled electorate (absent votes) have been returned to their home electorate and included in the count.
Election timetable
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Thursday 5 November
The ECQ has declared the result in the electorate of Broadwater. See the results here.
Around 85 per cent of potential votes have been counted. This figure compares the number of votes counted with the number of electors. As not every elector votes, this figure will not reach 100 per cent.
Counting has continued today, with postal, absent and declaration votes continuing to join the count. The ECQ results website is updated regularly with new results data as the count progresses.
Distribution of preferences
To progress to a full distribution of preferences count, it must be clear which candidate has the fewest votes, so that their votes can be reallocated to the second preference candidate selected on each ballot paper.
Where there are a lot of candidates contesting an election, the count may need to pause to wait for more votes to be available before it is clear which candidate has the fewest first preference votes.
Postal votes
Around 80 per cent of the postal votes issued have been returned. Once received by the ECQ, postal votes are transferred to their home electorate and scrutinised prior to being counted.
Postal votes must be received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count.
Declaration votes
Declaration vote scrutiny also continues today. A declaration vote is made when an elector’s details cannot be matched on the electoral roll at the time of voting.
Electoral officers will now recheck the voter’s details against an updated roll. Where details can be matched, the ballots can be included in the count.
Absent votes
Votes cast outside of the elector’s enrolled electorate (absent votes) need to be returned to their home electorate to be counted. Vote exchanges of absent votes are being finalised.
Declarations will be made when the result of the official count is mathematically certain. In some cases, the ECQ will need to wait until the deadline for the return of postal votes on 10 November.
Election timetable
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Wednesday 4 November
The ECQ has declared the result in the electorate of Woodridge. See the results here.
Counting has continued today, with postal, absent and declaration votes continuing to join the count. The ECQ results website is being updated at regular intervals to show this.
Distribution of preferences
To progress to a full distribution of preferences count, it must be clear which candidate has the fewest votes, so that their votes can be reallocated to the second preference candidate selected on each ballot paper.
Where there are a lot of candidates contesting an election, the count may need to pause to wait for more votes to be available before it is clear which candidate has the fewest first preference votes.
Postal votes
The rate of return of postal votes has started to slow, with around 10,000 votes returned to the ECQ today, as compared to more than 100,000 a day at times during early voting. Over 77 per cent of the postal votes issued have been returned. Once received by the ECQ, postal votes are transferred to their home electorate and scrutinised prior to being counted.
Postal votes must be received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count.
Declaration votes
Declaration vote scrutiny also continues today. A declaration vote is made when an elector’s details cannot be matched on the electoral roll at the time of voting.
Electoral officers will now recheck the voter’s details against an updated roll. Where details can be matched, the ballots can be included in the count.
Absent votes
Votes cast outside of the elector’s enrolled electorate (absent votes) need to be returned to their home electorate to be counted. Vote exchanges of absent votes are being finalised.
Results
The results of the count are being published progressively as counts are undertaken at ecq.qld.gov.au/results.
The ECQ will declare results when the outcome of the official count is mathematically certain. In some cases the ECQ will need to wait until the deadline for the return of postal votes on 10 November.
Election timetable
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Tuesday 3 November
The ECQ has made the first formal declarations for the State general election by declaring the result in the electorates of Gladstone and Inala.
Counting has continued today, with postal, absent and declaration votes continuing to join the count.
Distribution of preferences
To progress to a full distribution of preferences count, it must be clear which candidate has the fewest votes, so that their votes can be reallocated to the second preference candidate selected on each ballot paper.
Where there are a lot of candidates contesting an election, the count may need to pause to wait for more votes to be available before it is clear which candidate has the fewest first preference votes.
Postal votes
Completed postal ballots continue to be received by the ECQ, with around 70 per cent of the postal votes issued already returned.
Postal votes must be received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count.
Declaration votes
Declaration vote scrutiny also continues today. A declaration vote is made when an elector’s details cannot be matched on the electoral roll at the time of voting.
Electoral officers will now recheck the voter’s details against an updated roll. Where details can be matched, the ballots can be included in the count.
Absent votes
Votes cast outside of the elector’s enrolled electorate (absent votes) need to be returned to their home electorate to be counted. Vote exchanges of absent votes are now being finalised.
Results
The results of the count are being published progressively as counts are undertaken at ecq.qld.gov.au/results.
The ECQ will declare results when the outcome of the official count is mathematically certain. In some cases the ECQ will need to wait until the deadline for the return of postal votes on 10 November.
Election timetable
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
2 November 2020
The ECQ has declared the result in the Aurukun councillor by-election. See the result here.
Counting in the State general election has continued today, with the official first preference count underway in all 93 electorates.
630,000 completed postal ballots have been received by the ECQ, more than two-thirds of the postal votes sent out to voters.
Almost 500,000 of these have already been scrutinised and included in the count.
Just over 5 per cent of the postal votes that have been received and scrutinised have not been included in the count for a range of reasons, such as the declaration envelope has not been signed or witnessed correctly, or the person voting could not be found on the electoral roll.
Declaration votes
Declaration vote scrutiny also continues today. A declaration vote is made when an elector’s details cannot be matched on the electoral roll at the time of voting.
Electoral officers will now recheck the voter’s details against an updated roll. Where details can be matched, the ballots can be included in the count.
Absent votes
Votes cast outside of the elector’s enrolled electorate (absent votes) need to be returned to their home electorate to be counted. Vote exchanges of absent votes are now occurring between Returning Officers.
Results
The results of the count are being published progressively as counts are undertaken at ecq.qld.gov.au/results.
The ECQ will declare results when the outcome of the official count is mathematically certain. In some cases the ECQ will need to wait until the deadline for the return of postal votes on 10 November.
Election timetable
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
October
Saturday 31 October
More than 140,000 electors voted in the first hour of election day, with over 820,000 votes cast by 4.00pm today.
The ECQ will release further information about voter numbers after polls close at 6pm this evening. The final turnout rate for the election will not be finalised until after the return of postal votes.
Counting the votes
On election night, the ECQ will complete an unofficial preliminary count that includes:
- All election day polling booth votes
- Early votes available to count
- Almost 400,000 postal votes have been returned and scrutinised and will be counted tonight
- All votes taken during early voting and on election day at Brisbane City Hall.
An unofficial indicative count also takes place this evening, after the preliminary count.
The indicative count is an allocation of preferences to two candidates selected by the Electoral Commissioner. The two candidates are selected because various factors indicate they are the most likely to receive the highest number of first preference votes. The factors include historical trends and current polling.
The two candidates for the indicative count for each state electoral district remain in-confidence until 6pm on election day.
It is possible that, after a majority of polling booth counts are completed on election night, it becomes clear that the majority of first preference votes have been cast for different candidates to those selected for the indicative count. Where this occurs, the indicative count information may be removed from the website.
Results
The results of the count will be published progressively as booths complete their counts at ecq.qld.gov.au/results.
Following the unofficial preliminary count, the official count will commence from tomorrow, 1 November.
The ECQ will declare results when the outcome of the official count is mathematically certain. In some cases the ECQ will need to wait until the deadline for the return of postal votes on 10 November.
Election timetable
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Friday 30 October
Early voting will close tonight at 6pm.
As at 3:30pm, more than 99,000 electors have voted in the last day of early voting, bringing the total number of early votes cast so far to over 1,210,000.
This compares to over 1,200,000 in the 2020 local government elections, and 740,000 in the 2017 State general election.
A record 200 early voting centres have been open since Monday 19 October, offering more than 100 hours of early voting to Queenslanders.
Election day
Saturday 31 October is election day. 1300 polling booths will be open from 8am to 6pm tomorrow.
Search for election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Telephone voting
More than 14,000 electors have registered for telephone voting, and 12,000 of these have voted.
Telephone voting is a limited service offered to voters who cannot attend a polling place in person. For the 2020 State general election, the ECQ has expanded eligibility for telephone voting to people who are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or are subject to a health order to self-quarantine or isolate.
Eligible electors can register to telephone vote until 12 noon tomorrow, and have until 6pm to call back and cast their vote.
Postal voting
The ECQ issued around 900,000 postal votes, and just over half of these have already been returned to the ECQ.
Postal votes need to be completed, signed and witnessed before 6pm on election day, and need to be received by the ECQ before 10 November to be included in the count.
If electors haven’t received their postal vote papers yet, they are able to vote in person at an election day polling booth. Electors are marked off the electoral roll, so they are only able to vote once.
If you’re a postal voter and live more than 20km from an early voting centre or election day booth and are concerned your ballot may not arrive in time, or your vote get back in time, you are eligible to vote by telephone. Refer to the telephone voting fact sheet PDF (0.74 MB) for further details.
Counting the votes
On election night, the ECQ will complete an unofficial preliminary count that includes:
- All election day polling booth votes
- Early votes available to count
- Postal votes returned and scrutinised prior to 6pm on election day
- All votes taken during early voting and on election day at Brisbane City Hall.
For more about how the count is conducted, refer to our fact sheet. PDF (0.34 MB)
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Thursday 29 October
More than 1 million electors have voted early in the 2020 State general election.
Early voting
As at 3:30pm, more than 80,000 electors have voted today, bringing the total number of early votes cast so far to over 1,050,000.
Early voting centres will be open until 9pm this evening and for a final day of early voting from 9am to 6pm tomorrow.
Telephone voting
Nearly 12,000 electors have registered for telephone voting, and 80 per cent of these have voted.
Telephone voting is a limited service offered to voters who cannot attend a polling place in person. For the 2020 State general election, the ECQ has expanded eligibility for telephone voting to people who are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or are subject to a health order to self-quarantine or isolate.
Postal voting
440,000, almost half of all postal votes issued by the ECQ have already been completed, witnessed and returned.
If you’re a postal voter and live more than 20km from an early voting centre or election day booth and are concerned your ballot may not arrive in time, or your vote get back in time, you are eligible to vote by telephone. The fact sheet our website explains how to do this.
Electors are encouraged to continue to return their postal ballots as soon as possible. However, if electors haven’t received their postal ballot papers yet, they are able to vote in person at an early voting centre or election day polling booth. Electors are marked off the electoral roll, so they are only able to vote once.
Postal ballots received prior to election day will be distributed to the relevant Returning Officers where they are examined in the presence of any scrutineers who choose to attend, to make sure the voter is correctly enrolled, and the declaration envelope is correctly signed and witnessed. These ballots papers are separated from identifying information and placed in a secure ballot box to be counted on election night as part of the preliminary (unofficial) count.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count. Electors are encouraged to complete their postal ballot as soon as they receive it and to return it straight away.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Wednesday 28 October
Postal voting
More than 316,000 completed postal ballots have been returned to the ECQ, more than a third of those issued.
Electors are encouraged to continue to return their postal ballots as soon as possible. However, if electors haven’t received their postal ballot papers yet, they are still able to vote in person at an early voting centre or election day polling booth. Electors are marked off the electoral roll, so they are only able to vote once.
Postal ballots received prior to election day will be distributed to the relevant Returning Officers where they are examined in the presence of any scrutineers who choose to attend, to make sure the voter is correctly enrolled, and the declaration envelope is correctly signed and witnessed. These ballots papers are separated from identifying information and placed in a secure ballot box to be counted on election night as part of the preliminary (unofficial) count.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count. Electors are encouraged to complete their postal ballot as soon as they receive it and to return it straight away.
Early voting
As at 3:30pm, more than 80,000 electors have voted today, bringing the total number of early votes cast so far to over 950,000.
Early voting centres will be open until 6pm this evening, and from 9am to 9pm tomorrow.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Tuesday 27 October
Early voting
As at 3:30pm, more than 78,000 electors have voted today, bringing the total number of early votes cast so far to over 850,000.
Early voting centres will be open today until 9pm.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Declared Institution
The ECQ has issued 7000 postal votes to residents in 500 aged care facilities that would ordinarily be ‘Declared Institutions’.
The ECQ would normally visit these facilities during early voting, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, these visits could not take place.
Instead, the ECQ worked with facility management to arrange postal votes for those residents who required them.
Remote Area Polling
Remote area polling has begun in Cook, with elections teams visiting Badu Island, Erub Island and Warraber Island today.
Visits to Coconut Island, Dauan Island, Saibai Island, Yam Island and Mabuiag Island were completed yesterday.
Postal voting
Nearly 900,000 postal votes have been issued.
All postal ballots have been printed and lodged for delivery with Australia Post.
More than 243,000 completed ballots have been returned to the ECQ.
Postal ballots received prior to election day will be distributed to the relevant Returning Officers where they are examined in the presence of any scrutineers who choose to attend, to make sure the voter is correctly enrolled, and the declaration envelope is correctly signed and witnessed. These ballots papers are separated from identifying information and placed in a secure ballot box to be counted on election night as part of the preliminary (unofficial) count.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count. Electors are encouraged to complete their postal ballot as soon as they receive it and to return it straight away.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Monday 26 October
Early voting numbers for the 2020 State general election have broken all previous Queensland records, with more than 740,000 electors already casting their vote, including 68,000 as at 3.30pm today. This matches the total number of early voters in the 2017 State general election.
The ECQ is offering extended opening hours over the two-week early voting period through to 30 October. Around 1,300 polling booths will be open on election day, 31 October, from 8am to 6pm.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Postal voting
All postal votes have been printed and lodged with Australia Post for delivery. Around 900,000 postal votes have been issued, as compared to 570,000 applications for the local government elections in March, and 366,000 in the State general election in 2017.
Postal votes received prior to election day will be distributed to the relevant Returning Officers where they are examined in the presence of any scrutineers who choose to attend, to make sure the voter is correctly enrolled, and the declaration envelope is correctly signed and witnessed. These ballot papers are separated from identifying information and placed in a secure ballot box to be counted on election night as part of the preliminary (unofficial) count.
More than 117,000 completed ballots have been returned to the ECQ and are being sent on to the relevant Returning Officer.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count. Electors are encouraged to complete their postal ballot as soon as they receive it and to return it straight away.
Election funding disclosure
In the final week leading up to an election, candidates and third parties must now disclose donations within 24 hours.
Since 30 June 2020, candidates, third parties and registered political parties have disclosed 2575 donations totalling more than $11,100,000. A further $500,000 has been disclosed by donors which is yet to be disclosed by the recipient party or candidate. The ECQ is actively engaging with parties and candidates about these returns. This information is accurate as at 3.30pm this afternoon.
39 third parties are currently registered for the State general election. A third party is an individual or an entity who makes donations or incurs electoral expenditure in support of candidates or registered political parties.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Friday 23 October
More than half a million of Queensland’s 3.38 million electors have already voted in the 2020 State general election.
As at 3:30pm, more than 85,000 electors had voted today, bringing the total number of early votes cast so far to over 580,000.
Early voting centres will be open tomorrow, from 9am to 5pm. This is the first time that electors statewide will be able to vote on a Saturday during the early voting period for a State general election in Queensland.
The ECQ is offering extended opening hours over the two-week early voting period through to 30 October. Around 1,300 polling booths will be open on election day, 31 October, from 8am to 6pm.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Postal voting
More than 898,000 postal votes have been printed and lodged for delivery with Australia Post.
More than 60,000 completed ballots have been returned to the ECQ.
Postal ballots received prior to election day will be distributed to the relevant Returning Officers where they are examined in the presence of any scrutineers who choose to attend, to make sure the voter is correctly enrolled, and the declaration envelope is correctly signed and witnessed. These ballots papers are separated from identifying information and placed in a secure ballot box to be counted on election night as part of the preliminary (unofficial) count.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count. Electors are encouraged to complete their postal ballot as soon as they receive it and to return it straight away.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Thursday 22 October
Postal voting
All postal ballots have been printed and lodged for delivery with Australia Post.
More than 898,000 postal votes have been issued.
The ECQ has established two postal hubs, in Townsville and Parkinson, where postal ballots returned by electors to the ECQ will be received and distributed to each Returning Officer.
Completed ballots have begun arriving at these hubs, with more than 15,000 completed ballots to be distributed to Returning Officers this evening.
Postal ballots received prior to election day will be distributed to the relevant Returning Officers where they are examined in the presence of any scrutineers who choose to attend, to make sure the voter is correctly enrolled, and the declaration envelope is correctly signed and witnessed. These ballots papers are separated from identifying information and placed in a secure ballot box to be counted on election night as part of the preliminary (unofficial) count.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count. Electors are encouraged to complete their postal ballot as soon as they receive it and to return it straight away.
Declared institutions
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, election officials will not be visiting aged care facilities that would usually be ‘Declared Institutions’.
Instead, Returning Officers are working with facilities to arrange alternative methods of voting, including postal voting or telephone voting.
Early voting
As at 3:30pm, more than 83,000 electors had voted today, bringing the total number of early votes cast so far to around 459,000. Booths will be open until 9pm this evening.
The ECQ will be offering extended opening hours over the two-week early voting period through to 30 October, including Saturday 24 October.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Wednesday 21 October
Postal voting
More than 890,000 postal votes have been printed and lodged with Australia Post for delivery to electors across the state. Completed ballots have also begun arriving back with the ECQ.
Postal ballots received prior to election day will be scrutinised to make sure the voter is on the electoral roll and the declaration envelope is correctly signed and witnessed. These ballots papers are separated from identifying information, and placed in a secure ballot box to be counted on election night as part of the preliminary (unofficial) count.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count.
Early voting
Approximately 140,000 electors voted yesterday bringing the total in the first two days of early voting to over 260,000.
As at 3:30pm, nearly 100,000 electors had voted today. This brings the total number of early votes cast to almost 360,000. Booths will be open until 6pm this evening and from 9am to 9pm tomorrow.
The ECQ will be offering extended opening hours over the two-week early voting period through to 30 October, including Saturday 24 October.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Full preferential voting
The ECQ has also reminded electors that State elections in Queensland have full preferential voting, meaning every box on the ballot paper must be numbered in order of preference starting with one.
Electors should also ‘stop and consider’ the information they receive during the election campaign. The ECQ is responsible for checking authorisation of election material but does not have a role in regulating the content of political advertising, other than statements about the process of voting or false statements about a person’s character or conduct. Read the fact sheet here PDF (0.96 MB).
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Tuesday 20 October
The ECQ will be publishing statistical summaries of early votes, telephone votes and postal votes issued by electorate.
Data is now available on the ECQ website, and early voting and telephone voting figures will be updated daily throughout the early voting period.
120,000 electors voted yesterday in a record first day of early voting.
As at 3:30pm, more than 100,000 electors had voted today, with a total of 220,000 votes cast since early voting opened yesterday.
Booths will be open until 9pm this evening.
The ECQ will be offering extended opening hours over the two-week early voting period through to 30 October, including Saturday 24 October.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Postal voting
A record number of postal vote applications were received, with around 890,000 postal votes to be sent for this election, including those people enrolled to automatically receive a postal vote.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Election statistics will be published daily.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Monday 19 October
As at 3.30pm this afternoon, a record more than 100,000 electors have attended one of the 200 early voting centres on the first day of early voting in the 2020 State general election.
Nearly 70,000 electors voted on the first day of early voting in the local government elections in March.
Booths will be open until 6pm this evening, and from 9am-9pm tomorrow.
The ECQ will be offering extended opening hours over the two week early voting period through to 30 October, including Saturday 24 October.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Postal voting
Postal ballots are being printed and sent now and all postal ballots will be lodged with Australia Post by 21 October.
A record number of postal vote applications were received, with around 850,000 postal votes to be sent for this election. The final number of postal votes will be determined after the remaining paper application forms have been processed, and any duplicate applications have been resolved.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count.
Electronically Assisted Voting
As at 3pm this afternoon, around 1800 people have requested a telephone vote, and of these, more than 1000 have called to complete their vote.
Telephone voting is a special service for vulnerable electors who have limited voting options. This service is not available to everyone and there are strict eligibility checks.
Electors are requested NOT to attempt to register for this service if they do not meet the criteria. Calling to register when not eligible means phone lines can become congested and prevent eligible electors from being able to vote.
Election timetable
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/media
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Friday 16 October
More than 820,000 voters will receive a postal vote for the State general election.
Postal vote applications close at 7pm this evening, with 820,000 applications received by 5pm this afternoon. The final number of postal votes will be determined after the close of applications, processing of remaining application forms, and removal of any duplicate applications.
This compares to around 567,000 for March’s local government elections, and over 360,000 for the State general election in 2017.
Postal ballots are being printed and sent now and all postal ballots will be lodged with Australia Post by 21 October.
Postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day, 31 October, and received by the ECQ by 10 November to be included in the count.
Early voting
Early voting will open on Monday 19 October at more than 200 early voting centres across the state. The ECQ will be offering extended opening hours over the two weeks through to 30 October, including Saturday 24 October.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Election timetable
- Applications for postal votes close: 7pm on Friday 16 October
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/media.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.
Tuesday 13 October
The ECQ has confirmed that ‘democracy sausage’ sizzles and other fundraising events can proceed on election day, as long as organisers follow relevant COVID-19 guidelines.
Candidate nominations
A record 597 candidates have nominated for election in the 2020 State general election, comprising nominations endorsed by Queensland’s 12 registered political parties and 69 non-endorsed or independent candidates.
Following the close of nominations, a ballot draw was conducted to determine the order candidates appear on ballot papers. Details of candidates in ballot paper order are available on the ECQ website.
Postal vote applications
As at 5.00pm today, almost 700,000 voters have applied for a postal vote.
Electors can apply for a postal vote through to 7pm Friday 16 October.
Ballot paper printing
Following Sunday’s ballot paper order draw, printing of ballot papers has begun.
Approximately 7 million ballot papers will be printed ahead of election day.
Early voting
Early voting will open on Monday 19 October at more than 200 early voting centres across the state. The ECQ will be offering extended opening hours over the two weeks through to 30 October, including Saturday 24 October.
Search for early voting centres and election day polling booths at ecq.qld.gov.au/booths.
Voter information cards
Most of the 3.4 million Voter Information Cards (VICs) have been lodged with Australia Post for delivery.
VICs contain important information about early and election day voting and will be sent to electors in Queensland on the electoral roll as at 30 September.
Electors who have applied for a postal vote for the 2020 State general election will receive a VIC to ensure they are aware of their voting options. Electors who are registered as postal voters will not receive a VIC.
Election timetable
- Applications for postal votes close: 7pm on Friday 16 October
- Early voting: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October
- Election day: Saturday 31 October
- Deadline for return of postal votes: 6pm on Tuesday 10 November
Election updates will be published at https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/media.
Follow us on Twitter for updates.