Polling has closed in Queensland's oddest and most controversial election day for local governments statewide and two by-elections for the state seats of Bundamba and Currumbin.

The ABC's chief election analyst Antony Green said it was difficult to provide updates as the Electoral Commission Queensland website was not feeding through regular results.

"There are dribs and drabs popping up on the ECQ website, but none of these updates are being exported in the media feed, which makes it very difficult to provide any sensible analysis," he said.

"And party scrutineers have no figures either as they weren't allowed to watch the count and were relying on the media feed and ECQ website."

Green noted that voter turnout for the Brisbane City Council election was expected to be lower than in 2016, when it was 84 per cent.

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By 10.00pm, from about 14 per cent of a preliminary vote count in the race for the Brisbane mayoralty, the LNP's Adrian Schrinner had 42.55 per cent of the primary vote, with Labor rival Patrick Condren on 30.99 per cent.

But Greens candidate Kath Angus had picked up 18.6 per cent of the vote, meaning her preferences are likely to play a crucial role in the outcome.

Labor's candidate for Currumbin, Kaylee Campradt, said it had been a polling day unlike any other.

She said she spent much of the day washing, cleaning and grocery shopping and her election night party would be held at home.

"I'm going to be spending this evening having a Zoom party with all of my supporters that have been with me along this journey," she said.

"It'll be a campaign first I think, really excited about having everyone in the lounge room but it'll just be on the screen in the lounge room."

Due to concerns over coronavirus, scrutineers were banned from polling booths during preliminary counting and candidates were only allowed one at each official counting location.

Labor candidate Kaylee Campradt opted for an online election party. ( Supplied: Kaylee Campradt )

Some refused to vote

A number of regional voters in central and northern Queensland expressed anger that the poll had gone ahead at all.

Darren Brighton from Kinka Beach, near Rockhampton, refused to vote due concerns over COVID-19.

"I couldn't vote today because the electoral commission couldn't provide me a safe place to vote," he said.

In Townsville, one of Queensland's largest regional councils, several voters told the ABC they believed the election should have been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Across Brisbane, there were at least three altercations at polling booths.

The election has proved controversial because of worries it flouted rules on social distancing. ( ABC News: Jessica van Vonderen )

Footage has emerged online of two men who were reportedly unknown to each other, involved in an altercation in Bridgeman Downs.

Other voters said the men were yelling at each other before the fight turned physical.

Police said they were aware of two other polling booth fights, including one in Taigum and one in Brighton in Brisbane's north, but no charges were laid.

Townsville voter Greg Tanner thought the election should have been postponed. ( ABC News: Sofie Wainwright )

Official count begins on Sunday

Queensland Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen said while unofficial results started filtering in from 6:30pm, it could take days for winners to be declared.

"We're hopeful that within the next week depending on how close those results are, we can get the results declared," he said.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) will also have to wait until April 7 to receive all postal votes, which could cause even more delay in tight wards.

On Saturday night, the ECQ will conduct an unofficial count of votes for the Brisbane Lord Mayor, councillor votes across all Brisbane wards and the indicative counts for the Bundamba and Currumbin state by-elections.

From Sunday, the official count will begin.

The ECQ will also start counting telephone votes, some pre-poll votes, postal votes and votes taken at Brisbane City Hall for other local government areas.