As the Montgomery County executive primary race remains too close to call, it looks like the outcome will come down to provisional ballots.
Democratic candidates Marc Elrich and David Blair both have 29 percent of the vote, with 98 percent of precincts reporting. The Board of Elections said the winner might not be determined until next week.
The race remains outstanding after a glitch in voter registration affected 80,000 voters. Affected voters were told to cast provisional ballots.
Tuesday's results have longtime Montgomery County Councilmember at-large Elrich with just a slight lead -- a few hundred votes.
The board of elections will canvass and certify the results of provisional and absentee ballots and hopes to finish by July 6.
The Democratic nominee then will go up against the Republican nominee, Robin Ficker.
Both candidates said they were hoping to earn the nomination.
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"I'm optimistic that when the absentees are counted and the provisional ballots are counted, I will be the Democratic nominee for the county executive," said Elrich at an event in Bethesda.
Political newcomer Blair said Tuesday night in Rockville, "So eight months ago, we were unknown and a huge underdog and now we're in a fight for our lives in a neck-and-neck race."
