ONE-IN-FOUR of those enrolled in the federal electorate of Wannon have already cast their vote ahead of Saturday's election.
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The Australian Electoral Commission said 29,564 early votes had been placed across the region as of close of business Thursday - a whopping 24,765 more than the entire declaration pre-poll figures of the 2016 election.
It said 5676 people enrolled to vote in Wannon showed up to pre-poll in Colac, 1947 in Ararat, 3434 in Hamilton, 3925 in Portland, 454 in Sebastopol and 14,128 in Warrnambool.
The remaining 85,053 left to vote are expected to show out in force on Friday and Saturday as the race to score a place on the plush green benches of Canberra's House of Representatives heats up for the five candidates.
In 2016, 4799 people - or 5.16 percent of those enrolled - cast votes ahead of the election day.
An AEC spokesperson said the rate of early voting had risen each election since 2007.
There has been a significant rise in those voting early in 2019, even compared to the 2016 election, the spokesperson said.
One-in-three Australians cast an early vote in 2016.
The spokesperson said there was clearly going to be more early voters in this federal election.
More than three million Australians have already cast their ballot for the 2019 federal election, exceeding the 2.98 million pre-poll votes lodged in 2016.
While there were eligibility criteria for early voting, the AEC allowed people to self-assess, the spokesperson said.
The AEC did not know why pre-poll voting had become so popular.
"The electoral commissioner is on record saying once people cast their vote, they seem to become a permanent early voter," the spokesperson said.
Last chance to vote early
Ararat
St Mary's Parish Hall, 304 Barkly Street
- Friday May 17, 8.30am to 6pm
Colac
Corangamite Outposted Centre, 275 Murray Street
- Friday May 17, 8.30am to 6pm
Hamilton
Senior Citizens Rooms, 100 Lonsdale Street
- Friday May 17, 8.30am to 6pm
Portland
Legacy Lodge, 60 Wellington Road
- Friday May 17, 8.30am to 6pm
Sebastopol
Phoenix College, Tuppen Drive
- Friday May 17, 8.30am to 6pm
Warrnambool
Sams Warehouse building, Bayside City Plaza 36 Fairy Street
- Friday May 17, 8.30am to 6pm