Queensland Electoral Commissioner Walter van der Merwe submitted his 33-page report to the government on April 15, having received 121 submissions from Redcliffe voters and interested parties during his six week investigation.

He found that “significant concern and dissatisfaction” existed in the Redcliffe community over the actions of canvassers and supporters during the February 22 poll.

“Many electors reported feeling intimidated and harassed by persons and groups protesting and canvassing at the entrance to polling booths on polling day,” Mr van der Merwe reported.

“Queensland electoral laws in relation to canvassers and the display of electoral material were ineffective in regulating these activities at the byelection and are significantly weaker than similar laws in other Australian states and territories.

“The large number of scrutineers permitted by law to be present at the polling booths during the Saturday night notional count was distracting and created significant challenges to polling booth staff.

"Queensland electoral laws governing the conduct of scrutineers are materially deficient in comparison to the laws of all other states and territories.”

Mr van der Merwe found the circumstances surrounding former MP Scott Driscoll's departure were “relevant as they assist in understanding the political climate at the time of the byelection”.

He did not name a political party or its supporters as being worse than the other and reported that while “several news sources carried a story of canvassers using insulting words towards the Premier's wife at polling booths on polling day... no direct evidence of the same came to the attention of the inquiry”.

Mr van der Merwe included lines from relevant submissions about behaviour, including that “no one particular party appeared worse than any other yet they were collectively out of line”.

He made nine recommendations to improve elections in the future, including giving polling officials the power to increase the size of the area declared as a polling booth, which would mean canvassers, who cannot stand closer than six metres to the boundary line, could be forced further back.

He also recommended that the government make it an offence to obstruct someone from entering a booth, but floated the idea that a warning be issued first.

He proposed Electoral Commission officers be granted the power to issue directions to people around polling booths, including to clear a pathway, desist from harassing or obstructing electors or remove unauthorised election material from anywhere within 50 metres of a polling booth.

Under the proposals, loudspeakers and similar devices would be banned and no election material could be displayed at polling booths until after 6am. Any signs or banners could be subject to size restrictions.

In addition, all how-to-vote cards would need to be approved by the commission prior to election day, and the number of scrutineers allowed to be present during vote counting limited, and their behaviour legislated.

He also recommended the creation of a voluntary code of conduct for participants in Queensland elections.

Premier Campbell Newman said his government was considering how to move forward on the matter.

Electrical Trades Union state secretary Peter Simpson, whose supporters were among the most prominent during the byelection, said no one from the union was interviewed for the report and any changes to how election days were conducted could impact on freedom of speech.

“The ETU, along with the Queensland Council of Unions ran a very well run, professional third party campaign in Redcliffe,” he said.

“The LNP knows this and by only having registered political party people inside the gate any changes along the lines of those detailed in the report will only further stifle free speech in this state.”

Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was “very concerned” about “a raft of changes” to polling days.

“Already there is a proposal that voters have to show ID and this second draft proposal about banning how-to-vote cards is alarming and it is concerning.

"But I think people throughout Queensland are a whole lot smarter than Campbell Newman gives them credit for.

"And the way they can send Campbell Newman a message at the next state election is to put the LNP last.”

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie will respond to the report on Thursday afternoon.