We’re all done her for the night folks. 

Thanks for joining me, and continue to check The Examiner for updates on the by-election.

With all votes, bar postal votes, expected to be counted by tomorrow night, it is likely we will know the result in 24 hours from now. 

UPDATE 8.14

Tonight’s portion of the count is all over, and Labor candidate Joanna Siejka picked up 33.01 per cent of first preference votes, followed by Liberal candidate James Walker on 25.7 per cent and Independent Doug Chipman rounds out the top three with 19.36 per cent.

Greens candidate Bill Harvey finished with 9.46 per cent, Shooters and Fishers candidate Carlo Di Falco had 3.14 per cent and Independent Hans Willink had 2.36 per cent.

UPDATE 8.08

Risdon Vale is the last to come in.

Risdon Vale is traditionally a Labor-leaning booth.

UPDATE 8.07

All but two polling booths have reported first preferences, and Siejka retains her lead with 32 per cent of first preference votes, followed by Walker with 26.23 per cent and Chipman on 19.81 per cent.

Greens candidate Bill Harvey has 9.75 per cent, Independent James Richard has 6.85 per cent, Shooters and Fishers Party member Carlo Di Falco has 2.9 per cent and Hans Willink is last on 2.42 per cent.

UPDATE 7.58

Political analyst William Bowe is describing Labor’s dwindling first preference lead as “looking very soft now”

UPDATE 7.55

Siejka’s first preference count is at 33.21 per cent with 9 polling booths reporting. 

Walker is up to 25.35 per cent, Chipman is on 18.97 per cent and Harvey up to 10.33 per cent.

UPDATE 7.51

Clarence is the eighth polling booth reporting, and Siejka has the most first preference votes once again.

UPDATE 7.48

Lindisfarne and Geilston Bay are now both reporting their first preference votes. 

Walker has the most in Lindisfarne, while Siejka took the most in Geilston Bay. 

Siejka has 34.63% of first preference votes, while Walker is closing the gap and is up to 25.05%.

Chipman is back in third on 18.4% and Harvey in fourth with 9.8%.

UPDATE 7.45

Siejka’s lead has been described as a “very large one” by Dr Bonham, while he believes Chipman is going to have a hard time to get any higher than third at the final tally. 

UPDATE 7.44

A total of 6,519 ballot papers have been counted out of approximately 20,000. 

UPDATE 7.39

Howrah’s and Montagu Bay’s first preferences are in and Siejka takes both of them. 

She has had the most first preference votes in all 5 booths reporting now. 

She leads the first preference vote count with 36.98%, followed by Walker in second with 22.7% and Chipman in third with 18.44%.

UPDATE 7.36

Bellerive is also reporting and Siejka has once again picked up the most first preference votes, followed by  Walker and then Chipman in third. 

Siejka’s total first preference vote count is at 40.79%, followed by Walker with 19.21%, Chipman with 17.04% and Harvey with 6.44%.

UPDATE 7.35

Not a great start for pre-election favourite Doug Chipman, however the first two booths reporting are both Labor-leaning traditionally, according to Dr Bonham.

UPDATE 7.29 

The second polling booth reporting is Warrane, and as predicted, it is Labor’s Jo Siejka with the most first preference votes.

Her total is up to 46.23% of total first preference votes counted.

James Walker follows with 17.34%, then Chipman collecting 15% and Bill Harvey with 8.72%.

UPDATE 7.17

To put the first count into perspective, Labor candidate Allison Ritchie had 47% of first preference votes in Mornington in 2013 and ended up with 36% of the total vote in a losing performance.

UPDATE 7.09

A reminder that only first preference votes are being counted tonight. 

One polling booth down, 11 to go.

UPDATE 7.06

First results are in!

The first round of voting has Jo Siejka nabbing 40% of the first preference votes in Mornington for a clear first place.

Liberal candidate James Walker follows with 21% of first preference votes, while Doug Chipman is in third with 19%.

Greens candidate Bill Harvey picked up 7% of the vote.

UPDATE 6.58 

Unofficial reports suggest that Labor have won the primary vote in Warrane, and are polling strongly in Howrah.

UPDATE 6.57

Still no word from the TEC, however Dr Bonham has said that the first results should be in any minute now. 

One of the biggest talking points of the campaign was the Liberal party’s efforts to paint Independent candidate, and Clarence mayor, Doug Chipman as too old to serve. 

Will it prove to be effective among the Pembroke electorate?

UPDATE 6.46

Almost an hour into the count for the Pembroke by-election, with no polling place’s reporting as of yet.

The three main contenders to take out the vacant seat are seen by many to be Independent Doug Chipman, Liberal candidate James Walker and Labor candidate Joanna Joanna Siejka.

Psephologist Dr Kevin Bonham has said before the election that the result will tell us much more about how Tasmania will vote at next year’s state election. 

A Labor victory may well predict a Rebecca White victory in 2018.

UPDATE 6.32 - There’s a total of 26,079 people enrolled in the electorate of Pembroke, however about 4500 of those have submitted there ballots via postal ballots and pre-election polling, according to Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkley. 

MORE

Polls are officially closed in Pembroke for the Legislative Council by-election. 

Stay tuned over the next few hours to track the first preference count as it comes in. 

Check out our preview of the by-election for more background on the count – http://www.examiner.com.au/story/5034365/pembroke-by-election-to-decide-vacant-legislative-council-seat/