At the last count, the Nationals candidate received more than 60 per cent of the vote, recording the highest byelection swing in NSW history. Click here to read more.

8.55pm: Country Labor candidate Herman Beyersdorf has not ruled running in the 2015 state election.

Labor received almost 10 per cent of the vote, he said it was an important part of Labor's rebuilding process and building a platform for the party in the Northern Tablelands for the next election.

Beyersdorf congratulated Adam Marshall on the result but said that he only had two years to prove himself and hopes he fights for the electorate. 

8:20pm: Adam Marshall and the Nationals declare victory. Marshall is congratulated by Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner.  

In his first speech the soon-to-be Member for Northern Tablelands congratulated his supporters for a team effort and said the "Nationals are back and in for the long haul".

7:50pm: Independent candidate Jim Maher says he is mulling another tilt for the seat of Northern Tablelands at the next state election after admitting Adam Marshall would probably claim victory tonight. Click here to read more.

7:30pm: Earlier predictions that there may be a close contest between Adam Marshall and Jim Maher appear to have been scotched - with 30 of 48 booths counted, the Nationals candidate has a primary count of 65.4 per cent, while the independent candidate has only 11.4 per cent.

7:20PM:The Armidale Ex-Services Club is filled with yellow and green shirts as National Party faithful gather to await the byelection results.

State MPs and members of the party executive have turned up as Adam Marshall edges ahead in the polls.

Premier Barry O'Farrell took to social media to congratulate Adam Marshall on a big swing for the coalition at the larger polling booths.

6:55pm: With 21 of 48 polling booths counted so far Adam Marshall appears to be racing ahead with the votes for the Nationals.

Most of the smaller polling booths in the Northern Tablelands had tallied their results early with Marshall reeling in 71 per cent of first preference votes so far.

Larger polling booths are still yet to announce their results.

6pm:THE polling booths are shut and the hopes of seven Northern Tablelands candidates now rests with election officials.

More than 200 people worked on the 50 polling booths across the electorate, a NSW Electoral Commission spokesman said.

Independent Richard Torbay won the 2011 election with a margin of 19.4 per cent ahead of the Nationals.

The byelection was needed after the shock resignation of independent state MP Richard Torbay in late March.

Click the photo for more shots from Glen Innes, Armidale and Inverell 

You missed our coverage from earlier today? CLICK HERE