More than 4000 ballot papers were counted for the first time yesterday as absentee, pre-poll and postal votes began to flow in.

Last night the Liberal candidate, Ken Wyatt, was 586 votes in front of the Labor incumbent, Sharryn Jackson. Earlier counting had extended Mr Wyatt's lead from about 380 votes to 533.

But an Australian Electoral Commission spokesman, Brendan Barlow, said there were about 15,000 ballot papers - lodged as postal, pre-poll or absentee votes - still to be counted, ensuring the result would remain in doubt for some time.

The commission has brought in extra staff to help speed up the count, which is taking place under the watch of WA politicians and scrutineers in a small room in the Perth suburb of Midland.

Despite the extra resources, a result is not expected until the middle of next week, and both sides of politics expect that the declaration of a winner will merely be the cue for a full recount to be requested.

Mr Wyatt will become the first indigenous man to win a seat in the House of Representatives if he can oust Ms Jackson from Hasluck. Mr Wyatt lived in St Leonards and Dee Why between 2003 and 2007 when he was working as the director of Aboriginal health for the state government.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia and awarded a Centenary of Federation medal for his services to Aboriginal advancement.

Mr Wyatt, 58, said his time in Sydney was crucial to his development as it taught him how to be ''a small fish in a big pond once again.''