Queensland election updates LIVE: Latest on the council election and byelections

After one of the most unusual council campaigns in Queensland's history - if not Australia's - voters went to the polls today to decide who would lead them through the next four years.

But by late tonight, for most councils that was still an unknown as the Electoral Commission of Queensland's preliminary vote inched forward slowly and technical issues with the ECQ's website caused headaches.

Only small percentages for most votes were released by late Saturday night. Volunteers dealt not only with counting votes, but managing hygiene measures put in place to protect them during the coronavirus pandemic.

Full story is here.

Queenslanders have begun what could be a long wait to find out who will sit on their new council and claim two seats in state parliament.

With almost 35 per cent of the preliminary vote counted in Bundamba, Labor candidate Lance McCallum is ahead with One Nation's Sharon Bell coming in second.

The seat was left vacant by the resignation of long-term Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller.

Her exit from politics came after Jann Stuckey quit politics after holding the Gold Coast seat of Currumbin for the Liberal National Party.

Laura Gerber is running for the LNP there and is head.

These polls will not change the government but will be watched closely as indicators of what's to come at October's state election.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland has been experiencing some technical issues, which has delayed the posting of results.

Bring back the tally room?

Two regional south-east Queensland mayors look likely to return to the roles as early counting crawls along.

Two-term Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio is off to a strong start for his third on 70.8 per cent of the preliminary vote, with about 22 per cent counted.

Former federal Labor MP Chris Meibusch is closest behind Cr Antonio on 19.6 per cent.

South of Brisbane in the Scenic Rim, mayor Greg Christensen is sitting with 35.7 per cent with 19.7 per cent of votes counted.

Former mayor John Brent follows on 25.8 per cent. Tom Sharp, who ran for the role in 2016, sits on 20.3 per cent.

Sons often follow in the footsteps of their fathers, but there has been a reversal of that old adage this election.

The fathers of two politicians have thrown their hats into separate local government races this year.

Allan de Brenni, a lawyer and the father of the state’s Sport and Housing a Minister Mick de Brenni, is running for the Logan mayoralty.

The father of controversial federal MP George Christensen is running as a conservative candidate for the Mackay Regional Council.

Early numbers are still trickling in on the Electoral Commission of Queensland website, slower than a typical election but still steady.

By 8.30pm the count for Brisbane's lord mayor was at almost 6 per cent, with incumbent Adrian Schrinner sitting on 43.44 per cent and Labor's Pat Condren on 30.42 per cent. The Greens' Kath Angus followed on 18.66 per cent.

On the Gold Coast, incumbent mayor Tom Tate holds 54.25 per cent over rival Mona Kecke on 22.11 per cent, with 3 per cent counted.

At Ipswich, Teresa Harding has 43.2 per cent of the vote compared with 23.1 per cent for David Martin, with less than 2 per cent counted.

In Moreton, councillor Adrian Raedel holds a slim lead with 25.88 per cent of the vote, against Peter Flannery on 24.96 per cent, with only 1 per cent counted.

Mark Jamieson has taken a powerful early lead, expecting to return as Sunshine Coast mayor. He currently holds 55.52 per cent of the vote - less than one per cent has been counted.