Stafford voters are picking a new MP. Here’s what you need to know

The next Queensland election is still 2½ years away, but voters in one Brisbane seat should have a new MP within a fortnight.

Early voting is now open for the May 16 Stafford byelection, the second out-of-cycle vote since the LNP took government in October 2024.

While the LNP’s majority means the result will not change the government at all, byelections are often treated as tests of support.

So whether you’re a voter or not, the byelection and its fallout will shape political debate. Here’s everything you need to know.

What are the dates for early and postal voting?

Early voting opened on Tuesday, May 5, and will continue every weekday until Friday, May 15.

Anyone wishing to vote early can do so between 8am and 6pm at the Chermside Kedron Community Church on the corner of Rode and Gympie roads in Kedron, or the Wilston Grange Australian Football Club at Hickey Park in Stafford.

The deadline for requesting a postal vote has already closed. If you have applied for one of these, you still need to complete it by 6pm on voting day and post it in so the ECQ receives it by May 26.

Voting day, for every other registered voter in the electorate, will be on Saturday, May 16. A total of 12 polling booths will be open across the electorate from 8am until 6pm.

What candidates and political parties are running?

A total of nine candidates representing seven registered political parties will be on the ballot paper, in the following order:

• Luke Richmond (Labor)
• Jacqueline Verne (Legalise Cannabis Qld Party)
• Damian Smart (Independent)
• Daniel Selff (Libertarians)
• Liam Parry (Independent, endorsed by Queensland Socialists)
• Jess Lane (The Greens)
• Lucy O’Brien (Animal Justice Party)
• Alan Denaro (Family First)
• Fiona Hammond (LNP)

What are the major candidates focusing on?

Labor, the last party to hold the seat, has focused on health and affordability concerns, while Hammond and the LNP are leaning heavily on their plans for future fuel security for the state.

On the negative side, Richmond and Labor have claimed the Crisafulli government has “cut 93 beds” from the Prince Charles Hospital. In reality, an expansion initiated by the former Labor government is awaiting an updated timeline.

Meanwhile, the LNP has been seeking to tie Richmond’s role in Labor – he was most recently the party’s assistant state secretary – to claims of failures in the health sector. Both major parties are seeking to paint the poll as a chance for voters to pass judgment on their rivals.

Lane and the Greens are campaigning heavily on cost of living, housing, and education. Lane herself is a teacher. The conflict in Palestine has also been a key part of her campaign material.

What could the results be, and when will we know?

Sullivan won the seat for Labor with a margin of 5.3 per cent against Hammond at the 2024 election.

Across the 23 Queensland byelections back to 1996, the average swing against the government has been 4.2 per cent, while the average swing against the incumbent party has been 5.9 per cent.

The counting of votes will take place after 6pm on May 16, until some time later that night. Additional counting is then likely to continue on the Sunday.

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