Joe Walsh and Melissa Bean, 2010 Republican and Democratic candidates, respectively, for the 8th Congressional District. (Walsh for Congress/CBS)
CHICAGO (AP) — The race for a northeast Illinois congressional seat shows every vote really does matter.
Republican Joe Walsh has only a 350-vote lead over three-term Democratic Congresswoman Melissa Bean.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Regine Schlesinger Reports
But hundreds of provisional and absentee ballots are still being counted in Cook, McHenry and Lake counties.
Officials say they won’t finish until Nov. 16, the deadline for when absentee ballots must arrive.
In Cook County alone there are still 692 outstanding absentee ballots that might be mailed in. Even then, a voter may have left the congressional race blank.
On Monday, Cook County officials were checking how many of the 216 provisional ballots for the district were valid. They won’t actually be counted until Nov. 16.
Walsh declared victory after the election. Bean says she’s waiting for every vote.
(TM and © Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
