Queensland 'will have an election period, not just an election day'

Queensland's October state election will go ahead even if a second wave of coronavirus lashes the state with COVID-safe planning that is under way.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said work was being done to increase pre-poll locations, extend booth hours and ramp up phone voting in the two weeks before the October 31 election day.

An election official sanitises a polling booth at the March council election in Brisbane.Credit: Getty Images

Cornerstones of an election campaign - hand-shaking, baby-kissing and democracy sausage sizzles - could remain off the cards while the virus lurks in the state.

Mrs D'Ath said Electoral Commission Queensland would also be able to move entire electorates to a postal vote if there was an outbreak of COVID-19.

"It means Queensland will have an election period – not just an election day."

Queensland's March council elections and two state government by-elections were held during the heigh of the pandemic and saw a record number of pre-poll and postal votes.

Of the 2.5 million votes across the state, more than 1 million were cast at pre-poll booths.

Another 570,000 votes were mailed in 37,000 were cast over the phone.

Candidates were forbidden from handing out how-to-vote cards, which show electors how a party wants them to preference their ballot, at the council elections.

The number of party volunteers were heavily reduced, leaving booths across the state as "ghost towns", and voters were told to bring their own pencils with them.

Mrs D'Ath's office said decisions about whether handshaking and the handing out of political flyers would be allowed would be made closer to the election.