Utah counties count provisional, absentee ballots

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Elections officials across Utah are counting thousands of provisional ballots and absentee ballots that were cast by voters in the waning hours of Tuesday's election.

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen says workers there still have thousands of ballots to count. She says so many people dropped off their vote-by-mail ballots at polling sites that the county had to send out additional ballot bags to collect them.

State Elections Director Mark Thomas says counties have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to announce the number of outstanding ballots they have. The results of those ballots likely won't be known until the canvassing on Nov. 20.

There are still two big Utah races that are very close, including the congressional seat in District 4 and a constitutional amendment regarding the state severance tax.

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