The popularity of pre-polling is changing the way politicians vie for votes.

With so many voters now opting to go early, it doesn't make sense for the political parties to wait until the home stretch of a campaign to unveil major initiatives.

They can't afford to wait until late in the campaign to ambush their opponents with a bombshell revelation.

They need to go hard and they need to go early – or they risk missing the chance to sway tens of thousands of voters.

In the Queensland state election, more than 790,000 voters have already flocked to pre-poll booths in the first week of early voting.

If this trend continues, the state will surpass the roughly 1.21 million voters who went early at the 2020 election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As QUT adjunct associate professor and former Labor speaker of the Queensland parliament John Mickel observes, election day is now an "election period".

"That's the fundamental difference," he says.

"Before that pre-poll period starts, you've got to be done and dusted in the public's mind."

The parties have wasted little time in the lead-up to this election to get their big announcements out early.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli used the LNP's state convention in July to unveil his flagship "adult crime, adult time" policy.

The LNP emblazoned the message on billboards right from the outset of this campaign.

On the Labor side, Premier Steven Miles revealed in mid-September that he would make his trial of 50-cent public transport fares permanent if the government was re-elected.

And on the eve of pre-polling, he unveiled another big-ticket pledge: his $1.4 billion commitment to deliver free lunches for every state primary school student.

Griffith University political expert Paul Williams says the political parties are factoring in early voting into the way they campaign.

"They front-end their campaign more than they did before," he says.

"They're bringing forward really the big splashes well in advance of pre-poll voting."

Voting without the full picture

The uptake in early voting also means many Queenslanders are heading to the polls without knowing every facet of each party's plans.

One of the unknowns is final costings.

Throughout the campaign, Labor has updated a webpage with its latest pledges and the relevant price tags.

It has indicated these commitments – which currently tally $9.2 billion – will largely be funded through borrowings.

The website includes only those commitments that have been unveiled and Labor is still expected to make a final costings announcement with more details before polling day.

The LNP, meanwhile, has indicated over the weekend that its pledges will come in at less than $8.5 billion.

It is yet to detail exactly how these promises will be funded but has acknowledged borrowings will be in the mix.

It says it won't release its final costings until it has released all its announcements, arguing that is standard practice for oppositions.

Queenslanders who want this information to inform their decision will likely have to wait until late next week before they can cast their vote.

When is the 2024 Queensland election?

Saturday, October 26. 

Where can I vote?

Visit the Queensland Electoral Commission's online portal.

Type your address into the search bar, tap the green "search" button and then scroll down to see a list of polling booths near you. 

Who are the candidates in my electorate?

The Queensland Electoral Commission's online portal can tell you. 

Once you select your electorate from the dropdown menu, a list of candidates in your area will appear. 

What electorate am I in?

The Queensland Electoral Commission has an online portal that will help you find out which state electorate you're in. 

Type in your address in the search bar and tap the maroon "search" button.