Long-standing City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore on track to ...

Sydney's longtime mayor Clover Moore says she expects to be returned to serve a record sixth term, indicating it could be her last in the position. 

Ms Moore, who has been City of Sydney lord mayor since 2004, is leading the current count but acknowledged there is more counting and preference flow to come.

She has secured about 37 per cent of votes so far, more than double her closest rival, Labor's Zann Maxwell.

"I'm really delighted this morning about the outcome of the election. It was a pretty tough campaign and some awful things were said ... but I'm so encouraged and happy about the city community endorsing me," Ms Moore said on Sunday.

"We don't know the final results yet and we'll know in coming days the makeup of the council.

"I believe that most politicians would be very happy with the result that they've just been given a sixth term and have just won every booth."

When asked if she would run for a seventh term in four years' time, she said she didn't think there would be another election campaign from her at this point.

"I'm focusing on the next four years ... I've just won this one, so let me enjoy it."

Clover Moore (centre) said the recent election could be her last. (ABC News: Nick Dole)

Election analyst Antony Green said electorally, Ms Moore was the "most successful female politician in Australian history". 

"Clover Moore has been in state and territory politics for four decades [and] won at every election since," Mr Green said.

"But clearly this has got to be her last time running for council."

More than 58,000 ballots have been counted in the City of Sydney election when the tallying stopped at 10pm on Saturday, representing nearly half of its 126,000 registered voters.

Mayor of Liverpool Ned Mannoun is leading the vote. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

Meanwhile, the controversial mayor of a south-west Sydney council subject to a public inquiry is commanding a lead in its election, after a fifth of its vote has been counted.

More than 35,000 votes have been counted in Liverpool Council's election as of 10pm last night — 22 per cent of its 156,000 electors.

Liberal mayor Ned Mannoun is leading the mayoral election, with 44 per cent of the vote, surpassing Labor's Betty Green, who holds 27 per cent.

The NSW government threatened to delay the south-west Sydney council's election, but resorted to a public inquiry after the council launched lengthy court proceedings.

Voters will have to wait until next month to find out the official results of Saturday's council elections.

The final ballots were cast at 6pm last night in elections across 127 local government areas in the state.

Counting stopped at 10pm, and for all but two councils it won't resume until Monday.

A NSW Electoral Commission spokesperson said the results won't be officially declared until after all postal votes are returned by September 27.

The government agency is expected to officially declare the results between October 1 to 3, with the timing varying between councils.

Placards on display at Redfern Town Hall in Sydney. (AAP: Steven Markham)

About 5.5 million people were registered to vote, with nearly a quarter of them cast early.

Voters in traditionally Liberal-dominated government areas faced the prospect of a drastically different local council.

This year's election has been marked by the failure of the NSW Liberal Party to nominate 136 councillors across 16 different council areas.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said the state Liberals had "performed strongly" overall in electorates where the party had fielded candidates.

"The results show people want governments with a bit of vision," Mr Speakman said. 

Mr Green said the lack of Liberals "clearly influenced" some councils, but had returned in Blacktown and Parramatta, both in Western Sydney.

"They've done reasonably well and got a significant representation on both councils," he said.

"The other by-products of the Liberals not being there is the Libertarian Party has picked up positions in both Penrith and Camden councils."

The NSW Electoral Commission will resume the count on Monday, and the official results will be declared early October.

The NSW Electoral Commission tallied just over a third of the votes in the Inner West Council's government election last night.

The Australian Labor Party has secured 43 per cent of the almost 49,000 votes tallied so far.

The council area, which takes in Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville, has 135,000 registered voters.

The successful party will elect a mayor from its councillors. 

Mr Green said Labor votes were slightly up, meaning the party maintained control of the council.

"The hopes of the Greens that they would get control of the council doesn't appear to have occurred," he said.

Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne has held the position since 2021 and said the results were "very encouraging right now".

"We're on track to have a Labor-led council, and if possible, we'll have an outright majority," he told the ABC on Sunday.

Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne has held the position since 2021. (ABC News: Nick Dole)

Over at Northern Beaches Council, about 42 per cent of the vote was tallied last night.

The incumbent Youth Northern Beaches Independent Team, who have been in contest with the Liberals in the last few years, secured just over half of almost 79,000 votes.

The winning party will select the council's mayor, a position currently held by Sue Heins.

Northern Beaches Council covers Manly, Pittwater and Warringah and has nearly 190,000 registered voters.