UPDATE 1:50pm:

Currently, 70.10 per cent of the preliminary votes for mayor has been counted along with 13.64 per cent of the preliminary councillor vote.

According to the ECQ, of 8300 people in the Douglas Shire eligible to vote, only 1100 people voted on election day, while 4618 people voted in pre-polling over the two weeks leading up to the election and 438 people applied for postal voting.

Preliminary voting doesn't include postal voting and it can take up to 10 days after polling day to receive postal votes, so depending on how close the result is, it could be a number of days before the official result is declared. Newsport will bring you all updates as they come in.

The ECQ has said the large number of postal votes sent in the local government elections across the state, (approximately 570,000) and new social distancing measures to be applied during the scrutineering process, is expected to extend the counting process.

UPDATE 10:20am:

Counting continues today and the race for mayor is still a close contest.

With 70.10 per cent of the preliminary mayoral vote counted Michael Kerr is edging ahead with 54.91 per cent of the vote to Julia Leu's 45.09 per cent.

UPDATE 11:20pm:

A close contest for mayor is shaping up with 45.30 per cent of the vote counted tonight.

The ECQ has Michael Kerr just in the lead at 51.44 per cent to Julia Leu's 48.56 per cent.

13.64 per cent of the councillor vote has been counted with Lisa Scomazzon so far taking the majority of votes at 16.99 per cent, followed closely by Roy Zammataro, then Peter McKeown, Abigail Noli, Natalie Johnson, Bruce Clarke, Kym Rowley, Terry Melchert, and Steve Cruickshank.

Adding more drama to this election, the ECQ experienced technical issues earlier tonight causing a delay in the publishing of results to the ECQ website, leaving candidates waiting on a knife-edge. The issue has now been resolved.

Counting will continue tomorrow.

UPDATE 7:45pm:

Early results are showing it will be a close contest for mayor.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) has 8.07 per cent of the votes counted showing mayoral challenger Michael Kerr has 55.59 per cent of the vote to incumbent mayor Julia Leu's 44.41 per cent.

Zero per cent of the councillor vote has been counted.

EARLIER:

There are only a few hours left for Douglas residents to head to the polls to have their say on the Shire’s next mayor and councillors, in what has been an election like no other.

Social distant lines and spaced out booths is what voters were met with today as the election carried on amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The polls will close at 6:00pm with counting to commence shortly after.

Newsport will provide rolling coverage on the results right here as they come in.

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