How sweet it is...

Begich lead over Stevens grows


By SEAN COCKERHAM
ADN

(11/18/08 14:04:28)

Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich's lead over Sen. Ted Stevens is growing as
ballot counting continues today in the race for U.S. Senate.

The latest numbers, issued just before 1 p.m., show Begich up by 2,374
votes.

The state has counted over 16,000 absentee and questioned ballots so far
today from Southeast Alaska, Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak.
Elections officials expect to count nearly 8,000 more this afternoon.

All the votes left to count today are absentee ballots from the
Anchorage area. The Division of Elections expects to have the results
between 4 and 5 p.m.

Today's count should pretty much decide the race, although there will be
overseas absentees to count over the next couple days and a likely
recount in early December.

Since the state moved to mostly machine counting, recent Alaska recounts
have resulted in little change in the final tally.

Begich has so far today doubled the 1,022-vote lead he held over Stevens
on Friday, the last time the state counted votes in the race.

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Wow, we get rid of another Republican *and* Simple Sarah is blocked, at
least temporarily.