Ballots officially had to be submitted by 6pm Friday either through the post or via hand at Victorian Electoral Commission offices in each municipality.

Unlike previous elections five business days have been provided to allow postal votes, signed October 21 or earlier, to arrive and they will be counted as long as they are received before midday next Friday.

That means data processing of votes will not be completed until next Saturday at the earliest.

Wodonga returning officer Alan Cuman said the electronic feeding of ballots would occur over next weekend with a button to be pushed on a computer to decide the council expected to occur on either Sunday night or Monday morning.

He said the poll would be declared on either Monday October 31 or Wednesday November 2, with Wodonga Council having a meeting scheduled to decide its new mayor on November 7.

As of 3.30pm on Friday, 68 per cent of Wodonga ballots had been returned with processing to continue until 7pm.

In Wangaratta, the situation is more complicated by the reintroduction of wards for its council configuration.

The city’s returning officer Sue Abotomey said there would be manual counts for the North, South and Warby wards which each will return one councillor, but a computerised tally for the City ward which will provide four representatives.

She said the City ward would be decided at 7pm next Saturday with the remainder to be announced as part of a declaration the following Monday.

In Indigo, the new council will be unveiled with a computer calculation at the Beechworth returns office at 7pm next Saturday.

Alpine Council’s new line-up will be made known at 5pm next Saturday with a result announced at the VEC’s office at Bright.

Results for Benalla and Moira are also likely that day.

Towong Council’s election has already been decided with the five nominations lodged fitting the five vacancies.