Eight votes were all that separated the two main candidates in the north Queensland seat of Herbert after counting finished on Monday, with Labor's Cathy O'Toole taking the upper hand.

The wafer-thin Labor majority meant voters in the Townsville-based division faced an even longer wait to find out who would represent them in Canberra after the need for a recount was all but confirmed.

Labor candidate Cathy O'Toole says the close result in Herbert shows how "every vote counts". Credit:Michael Chambers

With no more postal votes to be accepted, Labor challenger Ms O'Toole had the slimmest of leads over Liberal National Party incumbent Ewen Jones.