CHAPEL HILL N.C. -- The outstanding ballots are still being counted for UNC Student Tai Huynh and Incumbent Nancy Oates for the fourth seat on the Chapel Hill town council.

Huynh leads the race with 3,946 votes, making him the unofficial winner. Oates barely trails with 3,922 votes.

The small margin allows Oates to call for a recount. She tells Spectrum News she wants election officials to finish counting the provisional and absentee ballots before making her decision.

"It's a little too soon to think about that. I want to take this one step at a time," she tells Spectrum News in a phone interview.

Huynh, 22, says he entered the race to improve people's quality of life.

"So the thing I want to focus the most on is the affordable housing crisis and displacement. Specifially, you have a lot of mobile home communities in our town," he says.

He used his own personal experiences to fuel his campaign.

"Growing up in a refugee family, you know, my family worked multiple jobs to try to put food on the table," he adds.

Durham and Orange county election leaders will start to certify the votes on the 15th to declare an official winner. If Huynh keeps his win, he'll be the third UNC student to serve on the town council in Chapel Hill's history.