Such was the case Tuesday, where one seat on the town board remains in some doubt. Michael Fiocco and Andrew Allden were separated by only eight votes, the exact number of provisional ballots still outstanding.

Election officials must research whether the ballots are valid before adding them to the final tally. Results won't be certified until Nov. 10. Election heads said Allden had not requested a recount, and Fiocco said Allden congratulated him as the likely winner.

In other races Mayor Randy Voller won a third term and incumbent Pamela Baldwin was re-elected to one of two seats on the Board of Commissioners.

Voller beat challenger Bill Crawford 392 votes to 328 votes, or 54 percent to 45 percent.

In a race for the Board of Commissioners, Baldwin won 461 votes, or 40 percent of ballots cast. Newcomers Fiocco and Allden earned 345 votes and 337 votes, respectively.

Voller, who has held the mayor's seat since 2005, called it an "affirmation" for the town's current leaders.

The 3,500-resident town has seen an estimated 35 percent growth since 2000, even as Pittsboro's sewer infrastructure struggled to keep pace with incoming residents.

Voller, a developer, piloted a successful bid to install liquor by the drink in Chatham and Pittsboro this spring, and he, along with Baldwin, has called for now-planned upgrades to the town's aging sewer plant.