NSW Electoral Commission staff spent Monday preparing for the all important confirmation of preferences which will decide the remaining six spots on the first council.

The only confirmed election winners to date are Shaun Whitechurch, Pat Bourke and David Longley.

Pre-poll votes are included in the 7522 votes received which has left about 1500 eligible votes still unaccounted for.

They include postals, but some voters are staring at fines for not participating in the election.

There are presently 6901 formal votes counted and another 621 informals.

Administrator Mike Eden confirmed on Monday new councillors would be sworn in at a ceremony scheduled for September 19.

It is shaping as his final official engagement in the role he has occupied since May last year.

Mr Eden said he wasn’t planning to attend the first meeting of the new council on September 26 when the mayor and deputy mayor will be elected.

Mr Bourke has confirmed his intention to contest the mayor position.

Potential rivals and former Corowa mayors Paul Miegel and Fred Longmire are among the many candidates relying on preferences to take a place on council.

Mr Miegel is within sight of the 691 votes required for a quota with 539 first preference votes.

“I’m close, but I am not there yet,” he said.

“The electorate has been conscious of the people from the north judging by the number of votes (the Urana ticket) got which doesn’t surprise me.

“It will all come down to the preferences.”

Mr Miegel said he was “weighing up” whether to stand for mayor with the final make-up of the council to guide his final decision.

He replaced Mr Longmire as mayor with the latter on 415 votes and also banking on preferences.

This story first appeared on The Border Mail