Federal Election 2022: Pre-polling results in Capricornia and Flynn

The Morning Bulletin and The Observer are conducting exit polling for Flynn and Capricornia booths to give you the clearest view of who might come out on top in the Federal Election. Keep track here.

Hundreds of voters across the electorates of Capricornia and Flynn in Central Queensland have already cast their vote for the 2022 Federal Election, with some early trends emerging in both seats.

Pre-polling began in Rockhampton and Gladstone at 8am Monday with the two major parties, LNP and ALP, dominating exit-polling results in both Capricornia and Flynn.

Follow our live coverage throughout the week on a national level here. 

In Flynn, the LNP’s candidate Colin Boyce and the ALP’s candidate Matt Burnett are neck-and-neck in the race to replace retiring Nationals MP Ken O’Dowd.

Exit polling from a sample of voters at Gladstone’s pre-polling booth at 21 Beckinsale Street, Gladstone Central and at Rockhampton’s James Lawrence Pavilion in Wandal from Monday and early Tuesday has Labor’s Mr Burnett leading the tally with 43 votes, ahead of the LNP’s Mr Boyce on 42 votes.

United Australia Party’s Tanya Wieden is coming in third ahead of The Greens’ Paul Bambrick.

Update from pre-polling booth in electorate of #FLYNN - I’ve spoken to a number of voters giving an early indication of which way the election might swing. It’s part of a bigger push from #newscorp to have regional journos at more than 80 pre-polling sites today #NewsPrepollpic.twitter.com/kiWQSeKAwh

— Nilsson Jones (@nilssonjones_) May 9, 2022

In Capricornia, results from Rockhampton’s pre-poll booth at the James Lawrence Pavilion in Wandal have incumbent LNP member Michelle Landry ahead of the pack on 42 votes, closely followed by Labor’s candidate Russell Robertson on 37 votes.

One Nation’s candidate Kylee Stanton is currently polling in third place.

It was a similar story at Capricornia’s pre-polling booth in Mackay, where day one at Mercury House suggested victory for incumbent MP Michelle

Landry.

She nabbed 13 votes to Labor candidate Russell Robertson’s one vote.

The Observer and The Morning Bulletin plans to continue exit polling early voters in the lead up to the election to get an early indication of which way the seats of Flynn and Capricornia might fall.

And they’re off! Voters in Capricornia and Flynn can start heading to the polls and get their votes in early for this year’s Federal Election. #NewsPrepollpic.twitter.com/aOaMbxh23f

— Geordi Offord (@GeordiOfford) May 8, 2022

Early voting has become increasingly popular over the past decade, especially since it was made more accessible during Covid.

Rain across Central Queensland did little to deter voters from turning out to the polls.

Rockhampton’s Carolyn Roberts got her vote in early at the James Lawrence Pavillion on Monday before she heads to Brisbane Tuesday for the International Cake Show.

Ms Roberts told a Morning Bulletin reporter she had a couple of entries in the show herself which has people come from around the globe.

While the rain threatened to dampen voters on day two of prepoll, plenty of constituents in Capricornia still made the trip to the James Lawrence Pavillion at the Rockhampton Showgrounds to get their votes in early.

A man who was voting Labor in this year‘s election told The Morning Bulletin he would be voting for the party because he was concerned about integrity issues and believed an integrity commission should have been established.

Another couple said they would be voting for the LNP because they were happy with the current government.

Australians lined up at the prepoll in record numbers on Monday with the Australian Electoral Commission estimating more than 300,000 voters had turned out to cast ballots.

The pre-poll period in 2022 is a week shorter than in 2019 where 120,000 voters turned out on the first day of ballots being open to the public.

From the Top End to Tasmania, News Corp’s team of regional and community reporters are canvassing thousands of voters across 80 pre-poll booths this week to get an early take on who’s likely to lead our country.

Follow our live coverage throughout the week on a national level here.