A political lecturer says he would have been surprised if Justin Lester hadn't applied for an official vote recount.
The outgoing mayor lost by just 62 votes to Andy Foster nearly two weeks ago.
Lester handed his application into Wellington District Court on Friday afternoon. 
He says there's a strong case that votes ruled invalid should be included, which could change the results of the election.
Lester says they spent close to $1 million on the election, so it's important to get it right.
Massey University's Dr Andy Asquith told The Weekend Collective that Lester should be confident if the recount goes ahead. 
"If there is a recount, I think Justin Lester would come out on top."
He says there are some votes that are in dispute of being disqualified. 
It'll now be up to a judge to decide if the recount goes ahead.