Begich Takes 3-Vote Lead Over Stevens in Alaska Senate Balloting

Update on expanded Begich lead as of Wednesday evening, background, here:

Begich Expands Lead on Steven in Alaska Senate Race

Original post continued below:

As of this past Monday, the State of Alaska was reporting approximately 90,000 uncounted ballots -- from less-accessible areas of the state, mail-in ballots (which, under Alaska law, are counted if they are postmarked by election day) and provisional / challenged ballots.

After 28,519 of those ballots had been counted earlier today, Sen. Ted Stevens' lead, which had been 3,257 votes, had shrunk to 971.

After an additional 15,000 or so ballots were counted this afternoon, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich took the lead over Stevens by three votes, 135,019 to 135,016. Both candidates are now calculated to have 47.24% of the vote.

With an additional 45,000 or so ballots to review and count over the coming hours and days, the trend is quite positive for a Begich come-from-behind victory, perhaps after a full or partial recount.

Here are the Alaska U.S. Senate results, as of 3:30 p.m. AKST on November 12, 2008. Do note that there are additional ballots remaining to be counted: this is not a final count:

US SENATOR
		Total
Number of Precincts		438
Precincts Reporting		438	100.0 %
Times Counted		267941/495731	54.0 %
Total Votes		264655
Begich, Mark	DEM	125019	47.24%
Bird, Bob	AI	10913	4.12%
Gianoutsos, Ted	NA	1076	0.41%
Haase, Fredrick D.	LIB	1961	0.74%
Stevens, Ted	REP	125016	47.24%
Write-in Votes		670	0.25%

The Anchorage Daily News reports that the elections division had an additional 10,000 ballots to count today, with today's ballots coming from all regions of the state; the Division of Elections reportedly expects to count "roughly 35,000 additional absentee and questioned ballots over the next week."

Were Begich to hold on to become Alaska's new senator, the Democratic caucus would increase to 58 members (presuming Lieberman stays in the caucus), greatly increasing the power of the Democrats to move legislation they desire through the Senate, with the help of two or three of the more moderate / fearful Republicans.

Minnesota and Georgia U.S. Senate races remain to be decided.

(In the contest for Alaska's House seat, former statehouse leader Ethan Berkowitz (D) continues to trail incumbent Don Young (R), now by a margin of about 15,000 votes, or just under 6%, or a closing of the gap by about 1,000 votes. Berkowitz' deficit is unlikely to be made up from the counting of the outstanding votes.)

h/t: FiveThirtyEight.com

(Edited at 7 p.m. PST, adding paragraph citing Anchorage Daily News.)
(Photo: Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, courtesy Mark Begich for Senate.)