According to the Australian Electoral Commission, there were 581 votes cast in the Riverina on Monday while 271 votes were recorded on the opening day for early voting in 2016.

Charles Sturt University associate professor in political science Dominic O'Sullivan said the increasing number of people who effectively excluded themselves from the campaign would have an effect.

"In the past, the candidates knew they were talking to everybody right up until the last day, but now that is not the case," he said.

"The question now is at what point do the campaigns announce their big policies?

"Labor had their big childcare policy announced on Sunday, with the people who would vote on Monday in mind, but you can't announce all your polices three weeks before election day."

Professor O'Sullivan said previous federal and state elections had seen big revelations or plans for cost cuts revealed in the final days of the campaign that affected how people voted.

"There are things that could be revealed between now and the election day that could make people think 'I wish I hadn't voted already'," he said.

Wagga's early voting is at 182a Baylis Street, open weekdays and Saturday until the day before the election on May 18.

Riverina's early voting rate on day one was ranked 30th out of the 47 federal electorates in NSW and below the average of 696 votes.

The Riverina was ahead of neighbouring electorates like Farrer, Parkes and Eden-Monaro in terms of the number of people voting at the first possible opportunity.

Professor O'Sullivan said that in a geographically large electorate like Wagga, there were a lot of people who would genuinely struggle to attend a polling booth without the option of early voting.

Nationals Riverina candidate and incumbent MP Michael McCormack said he would continue to deliver a "consistent message" across the Riverina and Central West that "the Nationals are here for regional and rural Australians".

"Early voting in the Riverina electorate is consistent with many other electorates around Australia and reflects a national trend," Mr McCormack said.

"There are many reasons why people vote early or ask for a postal vote application. Speaking to constituents about why they have voted early, some have told me they'll be out of the electorate on holidays on polling day.

"Other reasons have included being part of a wedding party or being committed to an important event before the election was called."

Riverina Labor candidate Mark Jeffreson said he would not change his campaign in response to high rates of early voting, but noted he and the other candidates were spending a lot of time at early voting centres.

"We are not changing our approach, we are just advocating our policies day-in day-out," he said.

"I don't really know the answer to why so many people are voting early."

The AEC has rules that specify people must have a reason for voting early such as being outside your electorate, travelling or in hospital on election day.

However, an AEC spokesman told The Sydney Morning Herald that the commission did not vet voters.

"At the end of the day, the voter that attends a pre-poll voting centre judges the situation - the AEC does not vet people," the spokesperson said.

"If people require an early vote they are provided with an early vote."

Professor O'Sullivan said he doubted the AEC would crack down on people voting early without a reason.

"The circumstances in which you could justify voting early are pretty wide, so it's almost not worth enforcing the rules," he said.

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A record total of 122,771 early votes were cast across Australia on Monday, compared to 66,894 on the first day of early voting at the 2016 federal election.

Wagga early voting times