Two ping pong balls drawn from a bucket have decided the fate of a councillor in north-western Queensland after a dead heat was called on Wednesday.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland is now investigating close results in the mayoral tussles in 11 Queensland councils as it finalises counting 9 million votes in Queensland after the local government elections on March 19.

A table tennis ball can decide who sits on Queensland local councils. Credit:File

In the gulf council election in Croydon – profiled earlier this month because cousins opposed each other as mayor – two potential councillors, Anita Pickering and Jim Gilmartin, finished in a dead heat.

Croydon has a mayor and four councillors.