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Here is a look at two of the most most talked about stories from Tuesday's election. Click on the headline for the full story.
Becker's comeback odds unclear with 24,000 S.L. County ballots yet to be counted
Ralph Becker lagged 1,450 votes behind Jackie Biskupski in Tuesday's unofficial election results for Salt Lake City mayor, but nearly 24,000 vote-by-mail ballots arrived at the county clerk's office Wednesday and have yet to be counted.
Because a breakdown of how many of those ballots came from Salt Lake City won't be available until Thursday, Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen said it's unclear what those remaining ballots mean for Salt Lake City's mayoral race.
Will Biskupski hold her 52 percent to 48 percent edge, or can Becker close the gap?
"I can't comment on that," Swensen said. "I have no idea."
By law, final results cannot be made public until they are certified with an official canvass Nov. 17.
Becker remained confident Wednesday that the race could shift in his favor after the remaining votes are counted.
"I'm anxious to see how it shakes out," the two-term mayor said in an interview on KSL Newsradio's "The Doug Wright Show."
Salt Lake City Recorder Cindi Mansell said until she knows what portion of the ballots came from the city, she can't say what percent of the yet-to-be-counted votes Becker will need to prevail. She did, however, say late ballots typically follow a similar voting pattern as election night results.
'Fat lady hasn't sung' on Proposition 1 in Salt Lake County
In Salt Lake County, the vote count over Proposition 1 remains separated by about 2 percent, with some 24,000 ballots yet to be counted, county election officials said Wednesday.
State estimates say nearly $59 million in tax revenues could be generated in Salt Lake County for local transportation projects if Proposition 1 ultimately passes.
"We're still holding out hope for Salt Lake County," said Abby Albrecht, director of the Utah Transportation Coalition, which backed Proposition 1. "The fat lady hasn't sung."
But Rep. Johnny Anderson, R-Taylorsville, sponsor of HB362, said he doubts the outcome in Salt Lake County will change much once the final votes are tallied and the vote is canvassed on Nov. 17.
Anderson said the apparent defeat in Salt Lake County was likely the result of the public's perception of the Utah Transit Authority, which would receive a sizable share of tax revenues under the language of Proposition 1.
Of the new tax money, 40 percent will go to UTA in counties that approved the sales tax increase and are served by the public transportation agency.
"It's obvious it kind of comes down to people's perception of UTA. I do believe they're working to change that, but it's obviously going to take a little more time," Anderson said.
