Uncounted ballots, close finishes delay outcome of race to replace Jane Harman

The nail-biting for top finishers in Tuesday's special election to replace former Rep. Jane Harman will continue for at least a few more days, until county elections officials can finish counting an estimated 9,811 remaining ballots.

Election night returns for the seat showed none of the 16 candidates came anywhere near winning the majority needed to avoid a July 12 runoff. The question is, which two candidates will be on the ballot then?

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn finished first, with 13,137 votes, or 24.66%. Republican businessman Craig Huey, a first-time candidate who poured $500,000 of his own money into his campaign, finished second with 11,648 votes, or 21.87% But Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who with Hahn had been considered a front-runner, finished just 206 votes behind Huey, with 21.48%.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2011/05/uncounted-ballots-close-finishes-delay-outcome-of-race-to-replace-jane-harman.html