MAIL delays and COVID rules mean the Wodonga Council election result will be delayed until November.
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Postal ballots need to be returned by this Friday but returning officer Trevor Deacon said counting would not begin until next Wednesday.
Extra ballots are then to be counted from the following Monday, meaning the outcome will not be known until at least that first week of November.
Under election rules, the poll needs to be declared on or before November 13.
Traditionally, results have been known within a week from the close of voting.
Mr Deacon said already more than 10,000 ballots had been returned.
Under COVID rules there will be seven vote counters, normally there is at least 14.
The low number reflects the space of the High Street election office.
COVID means the Wodonga Senior Secondary College is unavailable for this year's count and that also reduces the number of computers able to be accessed for vote processing.
