LATEST: Division 7 by-election result

A recount in the Moreton Bay Regional Council Division 7 By-election will be finished today - but we will still have to wait for the outcome.

Latest indications are the declaration of the winner will not now be finalised until Monday.

A result had been expected yesterday, after the deadline for postal votes to be received passed on Tuesday, allowing ECQ to distribute preferences.

At the end of the count of primary votes, Yvonne Barlow held the lead with 26.57 percent of primary votes (4265), followed by Mr Hayes with 22.34 percent (3586).

Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) Commissioner Pat Vidgen says a recount was requested by candidate Brett Hayes, and with a margin of less than 100 votes between first and second place, the recount was deemed reasonable.

“Legislation in Queensland does not require a recount for a margin of less than 100, as does federal legislation," Mr Vidgen says.

“However, it is a reasonable request in this instance because the full distribution of preferences saw some substantial shifts across candidate vote tallies.

“That is not uncommon in many elections and is one of the reasons why the legislation provides for both preliminary and official vote counts by ECQ staff."

As a consequence of Mr Hayes' request ECQ is undertaking a recount, which includes redoing the distribution of preferences.

rThe recount begins on Friday 17 December and once the process is complete and the outcome is certain, the ECQ will declare the election.

Stay up to date with local news here.