The by-election for a new Alice Springs town councillor has come down to two candidates separated by only 17 votes after preliminary counting over the weekend, with the NT Electoral Commission saying the winner may not be made official until November 11.

Five candidates nominated for the vacant councillor position following the resignation of Jimmy Cocking earlier this year.

By the time the votes were counted on Saturday night, school principal Gavin Morris had received 2,318 votes compared to electrician Sean Heenan’s 2,301 votes.

As of Monday morning, 7,520 votes were counted from an enrollment of 16,121 marking a 46.6 per cent voter turnout.

“Turnout for Alice Springs in the 2021 Local Government Elections was 65 per cent – just over a year later, significantly less people voted in this by-election” said Deputy Electoral Commissioner Kirsten Kelly in a statement on Sunday.

“There remains 800 postal votes to be returned to the NT Electoral Commission over the next 13 days, in addition to declaration votes yet to be added to the count.”

Mr Morris moved to Alice Springs last year to take up the role of principal at Yipirinya School and told ABC Alice Springs he had become “deeply entrenched” in the region and built close ties in the First Nations community.

Mr Heenan is a born-and-bred Alice Springs resident and small business owner who previously unsuccessfully ran for a council position at the last election. He had told ABC he decided to run again after being encouraged by community members.

The other candidates included Greens candidate Hugo Wells, who came a distant third with 1,568 votes; accountant Wayne Wright with 760 votes; and independent MLA Robyn Lambley’s electorate officer David Marzec who garnered 236 votes.

The NTEC on Monday was re-checking all votes and awaiting the deadline for postal votes at noon on Friday November 11, when the final count of postal votes and preferences will be undertaken.

The result will be formally declared at 6:30pm on November 11.