It was a photo finish in four municipal elections in Beaufort County on Tuesday evening, and the final results may come down to mail-in ballots, provisional ballots and possible recounts.

Municipal elections in Washington, Pantego, Washington Park and Belhaven East each finished with less than a 1% difference between winners and the first-place runners up, in one case down to a single vote.

Beaufort County Board of Elections Director Kellie Hopkins says this opens up each of those elections to the possibility of a recount, should the runners up choose to press the issue.

“There are four that are eligible for recounts as it sits right now,” Hopkins said. “We’ve still got provisionals, and there’s a handful of absentee ballots, which if they’re postmarked before or on Election Day, we can count them if we get them back by Friday. That could affect the overall totals.”

In Washington, City Council Candidate William Pitt finished with 619 votes (9.84%), two less than fifth-place finisher Roland Wyman, who won the final seat on the city council with 621 votes (9.87%).

For the fifth seat on the Washington Park Board of Commissioners, the difference was also two votes between fifth place finisher Belinda Cowell and Hatteras Brooks. While Cowell earned 61 votes (15.02%), Brooks brought in 59 votes (14.53%).

The contest for the Pantego Board of Commissioners was also a close race, with one vote separating Chad Keech’s 19 votes (13.10%) and Robert Lilley’s 18 votes (13.10%).

Though the margin in the Belhaven East End race was slightly larger, with five votes separating apparent winner Veronica Ward and runner up Myers Williams, the two still fell within the 1% margin of separation that could allow for a recount. Ward brought in 168 votes (30%), while Williams brought in 163 (29.11%).

While Williams and Brooks said Wednesday they haven’t made any decisions on seeking a recount, Pitt said there is a chance he will request a recount, depending on how the official results turn out. Lilley could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

The vote totals from Tuesday night remain unofficial until next Friday, when the Beaufort County Board of Elections has its canvass meeting. Between then and now, BOE staff will canvass to ensure that all absentee and provisional ballots are in hand.

As of Wednesday evening, Hopkins said there are eight provisional ballots (three in Aurora, three in Belhaven and two in Washington). The Board of Elections has also received four absentee ballots for Washington that will be added to the total next Friday.

With slim margins between winners and runners up, those ballots could change the unofficial results of the election.

“I will present everything I find at the canvass meeting, which is going to be next Friday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m.,” Hopkins said. “We’ll make everything official then.”

Runner up candidates would then have until noon on Nov. 19 to request a recount. If a recount request is made, the Board of Elections will perform that recount on the afternoon of Nov. 19, running the ballots back through the machines. The meeting is open to the public.

In the event of a tie, Hopkins says the winner of the election will be determined by lot.