(CNN) – One day before vote counting resumes in Alaska's Republican Senate primary, election officials say more than 25,000 ballots remain uncounted.
According to unofficial results from last Tuesday's primary, Sen. Lisa Murkowski trails attorney Joe Miller by 1,668 votes, in what could turn out to be the biggest upset so far this cycle. Absentee ballots had 10 days domestically and 15 days internationally to arrive through the mail as long as they were postmarked August 24th, the day of the primary.
Officials at the Alaska Division of Elections tell CNN that as of Sunday 15,720 absentee ballots have been returned. Absentee ballots continue to arrive by mail. Also waiting to be counted are 663 early votes, ballots which were cast in pre-primary day voting. Add to that 9,117 "questioned" ballots, which may or may not be counted. Some may be disqualified by a panel of election officials for irregularities. Most of these votes are expected to be cast in the Republican primary, but some may be intended for the Democratic contest.
Election officials say they will determine Monday how many votes will be included in Tuesday's initial count.
Miller, a little known attorney, was boosted by the endorsement earlier this summer of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee recorded a robo-call which was phoned out to Alaska voters in the days leading up to the primary. Miller was also helped by the endorsement of the Tea Party Express. Arguably the country's most high profile national Tea Party organization, the group spent nearly $600,000 assisting Miller's campaign.
The winner of the GOP primary is considered to be the favorite in the November general election against Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams, the Democratic Senate nominee.
–CNN Polling Director Keating Holland contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help | CNN Newsource | License Footage
This guy looks like a slick car salesman! I don't care who wins, they're both republicans!
Joe Miller looks like he wants to sell me a used car.
Will they finally give Al Franken the real victory that he did not get in Minnesota? Phony, slimy, election stealing liberal.
Let'em give up their senior senator - maybe then we can stop paying our tax money to support that state - while They keep the oil revenue for themselves.
Miller seems to be an absolute nutcase and we can also spell his name-Dangerous! He will never do the fine folks of The Fronteer State any good in the US Senate chambers; however, the mental health complex has an excellent spot for him!!!
25K absentee military ballots? No problem... get Al Gore... if there is anyone who knows a thing or two about destroying, ignoring, hiding and outright denial of military absentee ballots, it's Al Gore.
You remember Al, right?
He's the genius who said, "Your grocery-mobiles are making the earth hot... but that gigantic, flaming ball of gas and fire that actually makes life on earth possible... yeah, that's not making it hot."
All this Liberal-Media attntion is more of a referendum on Sarah Palin's political influence! Miller will beat Murkowsky no matter how many times the votes are counted but Liberals hate the fact that Palin's endorsement of him is the reason! Delicious!!
Sarah Palin got no wisdom from time. She is stuck somewhere between the gold rush and frontier women. No progress made.
The U.S. held a presidential election with absentee voting in 1864 at the height of the Civil War. And yet 146 years later voting seems more difficult than it has ever been. How is that possible?
As was said by Murkowski- it's not over yet.
Actually rooting for Murkowski to win! And I am a Liberal.
Seems like we have another case like what us the election of Al Franken in Minnesotta againt the winner Norm Coleman.I have trouble when misterious votes starting to show up after the election is over and votes that have been toss out because of irregularities suddenly being ruled valid and counted.
sound like fraud to me.the devil sarah at it again. god bless the people in alaska from this demon. this is my pray. for everyone in the whole USA.
Just like Sarah and Todd Palins time as Governor there was major fraud and you can expect more fraud here as are most things involving the Palins. This will be a battle and fight until the end and then there will be an investigation as to why a nobody endorsed by the Palins could possibly win when the Palins could not win any kind of an election in Alaska since they were busted for abuse and fraud.
If Miller loses Palin and the Beck crowd will claim voter fraud. If they win that same crowd will claim an "uprising", a new "2nd amendment answer to Marxism". Like the "rally" at the Lincoln Memorial Sunday – lying Fox "News" Repubs claimed 500,000 attending – networks hired contractors to count and came up with between 76,000 and 98,000. Beck/Palin/"Honor Rally" dishonored by false attendance claims by sponsors. They can't get anything right! Yawn!
It's entertaining to see how quickly the Miller-provided "Al Franken" talking point has become ingrained in the minds of his supporters.
Do these people just agree with everything they're told to agree with?
A used car salesman ?
An absolute nutcase ?
demon ?
You don't know the man and you have never listened to him present his views. You all were never taught manners and need to go visit your mama or papa for a trip out to the woodshed.
NEWSFLASH... Miller compared Sen. Murkowski to a whore on Twitter and couldn't delete it before it got re-tweet'd. Didn't something go on last Saturday about restoring honor? How is Sarah going to defend Miller on this.
What has Al Gore got to do with this article?
I want Murkowski to win, just because Sarah can't stand her and anyone Sarah doesn't like must be doing something right.
25,000 uncounted ballots and slick Joe wants to be declared as the winner? I think not Joe unless of course the 25,000 ballots were found in the trunk of Half Gov. Palin's car, in which case they are all for you, so yes I guess you won the fraud vote.
Vote NO in NOvember to the party of NO.
If this is normal Alaskan politics – it explains a lot.
Miller will win in AK. Ever since the republicans stole the national election in 2000, they have become very good at manipulating elections, even if they have to get the supreme court involved.
Palin has created jobs: One for herself, one for her husband campaigning for Miller, one for her daughter and one for her daughters baby daddy, Levi Johnson. Now hows that for job creation.
It looks like it's up for grabs with hanging chads. If Miller does get elected, the Republicans will seat him all alone in the far upper left of the Senate, parallel with Alaska's geographic position with regard to the rest of the USA. With his proclaimed stands on any number of things, even the Republicans will keep their distance. The only company he might have is Sharron Angle if she wins in Nevada.
Look at the scruffy beard. Is he trying to play a part in a B movie?