Australians smash early voting records, battle elements to cast vote early

Australians turned out in record numbers on Thursday to cast their votes early, with Friday expected to have been even more popular.

A record number of voters have turned out to South East Queensland pre-polling stations ahead of Saturday’s election day.

Voters were seen lining city blocks around Brisbane’s City Hall, while on the northside queues were also forming in Lilley.

The long lines came as data from the Australian Electoral Commission revealed that Thursday saw the highest number of pre-poll votes ever cast on a single day.

Nationally, more than 743,000 voters cast their vote on Thursday, and with Friday one day closer to the election and booths open until 6pm, all expectations were for an even busier day.

Thursday saw the highest number of prepoll votes ever cast on a single day, with Friday expected to be even busier. Source: AEC

The AEC expects around six million Australians to vote before Election Day, meaning that more than 40 per cent of voters will fill in their ballots early.

Those hoping to avoid long lines by voting early were met with queues outside Brisbane’s City Hall at lunchtime on Friday, as voters snaked their way around the building.

Voters were also in for a long wait in Lilley, north of the CBD, with some people reporting having waited as long as two hours to cast their vote.

“People coming through here seem pretty determined, not a lot of people haven’t made up their minds at this point,” Labor Member for Lilley Anika Wells told Channel 9.

Long lines also formed at a polling station in Lilley. Image: Channel 9.

“A lot of people have been waiting to cast their vote for some time.”

Long lines were also seen forming in Brisbane’s south on Friday afternoon, stretching along a footpath outside the St Stephan's Coorparoo Hall in hotly contested Griffith about 4pm.

Lines stretch along a footpath outside the St Stephen's Hall in Coorparoo. Image: Supplied

Those who have yet to cast their vote have until 6pm on Saturday, with more polling locations set to open on polling day.

The long lines formed ahead of wet weather that is expected to descent on the southeast over the weekend, with large parts of the state bracing for heavy rain and potential flash flooding.