Senate Hangs on Results From One Montana County

UPDATE: Officials in the Montana Secretary of state's office were still awaiting results from Yellowstone County and several smaller counties that will determine the control of the U.S. Senate. In Yellowstone County, local officials failed to clear the totals on the county's ES&S M-650 central count tabulator before counting the ballots and were running a new count.

In addition results from Beaverhead, Broadwater, Meagher, and Glacier counties had not been reported. all these counties count paper ballots by hand and the process is stretching into the early hours of the morning.

With other Senate races across the country showing Democrats with 50 senate seats and Republicans 49, control of the Senate will be determined by the result of the contest between Republican incumbent Conrad Burns and Democratic challenger Jon Tester. Results currently show Tester with a lead of less than 5,000 votes

The situation reminds Montana residents of the 2004 election in which control of the State House remained in question on election night when one race ended in a tie that was resolved in a hand recount.

Official Results Page Link:
http://www.co.yellowstone.mt.gov/elections/results/RESULTS/DEFAULT.HTM

ENDS