DENVER (KDVR) — The latest vote updates released Thursday in the Colorado District 3 race show that Republican Lauren Boebert’s lead over Democrat Adam Frisch is shrinking.
The Associated Press has declared the election too close to call, saying the race is likely headed to an automatic recount. AP said it will await the results of a potential recount to call the race.
The race is currently separated by 551 votes as of 8:35 a.m. Friday, with Boebert leading 163,758 to 163,207. This is down from Boebert’s lead of 1,106 votes around 11 a.m. Thursday.
Could there be a mandatory recount?
Based on the current vote count, there would be an automatic recount because Boebert’s lead is less than 819, the current margin to trigger a mandatory recount.
Colorado law says a recount will automatically happen if the difference in votes between the two candidates is less than 0.5% of the winner’s total.
Here’s the equation to decide the recount margin:
| Is | the difference between top two candidates | less than or equal to | 0.5% of leader’s total | ? |
| Is | 551 | ≤ | 819 | ? |
Answer: Yes, current vote totals are within the margin to trigger an automatic recount under Colorado law.
Timeline
Ballots from overseas voters, which had to be postmarked by Nov. 8, were due Wednesday. It was also the final day to cure ballots. Counties must count all votes by 5 p.m. Friday.
Here is a look at the timeline for finalizing the race:
- Nov. 18: State-mandated reporting update by 5 p.m.
- Dec. 5: Secretary of State’s Office must certify the election or order mandatory recounts where needed. In Colorado, the law requires recounts when the tallied vote difference is within a 0.5-point margin.
- Dec. 6: Deadline for candidates and political organizations to request recounts at their own expense
- Dec. 13: Recounts must be completed for a mandatory recount
- Dec. 15: Recounts must be completed for a requested recount
The 118th U.S. Congress is scheduled to meet in Washington starting Jan. 3.