Polls are closed, watch parties have ended, and "I Voted" stickers have been worn and discarded. But candidates in some Iowa legislative races are still waiting for final results in races that have turned out to be too close to call. Final ballot counts may not come in until next week.
Races in House District 55 in northeast Iowa and House District 82 in southeast Iowa are nail biters.
Democrat Kayla Koether is challenging incumbent Republican Michael Bergan in the district that covers Decorah, West Union and Elkader. At last count, Bergan has a .05 percent lead – only 8 votes.
In a Facebook post to supporters Koether said she's "still running this race."
"When we said every vote counts, we weren’t kidding!" Koether wrote. "We continue to watch & wait for every single ballot to be counted, including the absentee ballots in the mail."
Democratic incumbent Phil Miller and Republican challenger Jeff Shipley are fighting for the district that includes Fairfield, Bloomfield and Keosauqua. The margin there is also less than half of a percent, with Shipley up by 43 votes.
Miller released a written statement saying his race isn't over yet either.
"At this time, the election is too close to call and it’s important that every vote is counted. With over 200 absentee ballots still out, I will be watching closely as the final votes continue to come in,” the statement reads.
According to state law, auditors can still accept mail-in ballots until November 13th, if they’re postmarked before Election Day.
Candidates say they’re waiting for every last vote to come in.
They face a November 16th deadline to request a recount.
The secretary of state's office is reiterating that all results are unofficial until certified.
