While his main rival and acting mayor Paul Tully made a strong comeback, Cr Antoniolli finished the night 3646 votes in front. Seventy-five per cent of the vote had been counted.

The vote for a new mayor is being held because Mr Pisasale resigned on June 6 and faces charges including extortion.

As voting closed for the night to choose the city's new mayor, Cr Antoniolli, who has 34.72 per cent of the vote, is still leading in the byelection.

Fifty of Ipswich's 54 polling booths have been counted.

However, with more than 84,000 of the 120,000 votes counted, Cr Tully has eased back slightly to secure 30.56 per cent of the vote after clawing back the early big lead that Cr Antoniolli had in the early stages.

Scrutineers counted through the relatively large number of pre-poll votes in the final hour of counting, where Cr Antoniolli gained a slight advantage on Cr Tully.

Cr Antoniolli, a former Ipswich policeman and member of the Australian Labor Party, now has 34.72 per cent of the votes that have been counted tonight, or 27,006 of the 75 per cent of votes counted.

Cr Tully, also a member of the Labor Party, has progressively increased his share of the votes, lifting them from 27.34 per cent of the vote at 8pm to 30.56 per cent, or 26,785 of the votes by the close of voting.

Cr Tully, who is Queensland's longest-serving local government politician, has picked up strong support in booths in Ipswich's eastern suburbs of Gailes, Camira, Collingwood Park, Kruger and Augustine Heights.

However Cr Antoniolli has outpolled Cr Tully in the city region of Ipswich, as well as Brassall, West Ipswich, Tivoli, Flinders View and Raceview.

Both men are polling relatively evenly in the newer suburban areas of Springfield, Springfield Central and Springfield Lakes.

Three other local candidates polled relatively well.

Greens candidate Brett Morrissey has 6.77 per cent of the vote, or 5930 votes, possibly boosted by the appearance of former Greens senator Larissa Waters on his campaign trail on Saturday.

City accountant Peter Robinson has 7.3 per cent of the vote, or 640 votes, while Gary Duffy increased his vote slightly to register 6.2 per cent of the vote, or 5430.

Redbank Plains concreter Dallas Klass, who started by polling strongly, progressively lost his share of the vote as the count continued.

With 68 per cent of the vote counted, he has just less than 6 per cent of the vote, or 5241 votes.

You can check the poll results on the Electoral Commission Queensland website, here.

How the votes are running (75 per cent counted):

Jack Paff - 2.46 per cent

Paul Rix - 1.46 per cent

Peter Robinson - 7.31 per cent

Gary Duffy - 6.2 per cent

Brett Morrisey (Greens) - 6.77 per cent

Paul Tully - 30.56 per cent

Andrew Antoniolli - 34.72 per cent

Patricia Petersen - 3.53 per cent

Ken Salter - 0.41 per cent

Peter Luxton - 0.52 per cent

Dallas Klass - 5.98 per cent.

The votes that are won by candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated in turn and distributed according to any preferences shown on their election cards.

Based on Saturday night's votes, painter and rugby league club identity Ken Salter would be eliminated first, then eastern suburbs retail salesman Peter Luxton, followed by printer Paul Rix, former One Nation MP Jack Paff and law student Patricia Petersen, before the candidates receiving about 6 per cent of the vote.

The result will likely be decided by postal votes and the outcome of the small number of preference agreements that candidates put in place.