The Democratic primary is likely to decide the races for Summit County Council Districts 4 and 5, with no Republicans in the running and no write-ins.
Unofficial results from the Summit County Clerk’s Office show Christie Babalis in the lead in the District 4 Democratic primary and Canice Harte slightly ahead in District 5.
This council election is the first in Summit County with five separate districts, leading to fewer votes cast and slimmer margins of victory.
Voter turnout in Summit County’s Democratic primaries was about 43%.
Babalis, an attorney and political newcomer, faced former planning commissioner John Kucera to represent the central Snyderville Basin. The unofficial results as of June 24 showed she garnered 427 votes to Kucera’s 378.
In the Jeremy Ranch area, the incumbent Harte led Park City school board member Meredith Reed by 14 votes, 357 to 343.
Also, as of June 24, the Summit County Clerk’s Office had received 183 ballots that it couldn’t count.
That could be because voter signatures didn’t match what the clerks had on file. It could also be because a voter left off or incorrectly wrote the last four digits of their Social Security number or driver’s license on their ballot.
The clerk’s office will notify those voters by mail and explain how to verify their ballot so it can be counted. That may mean coming to the office in Coalville, signing paperwork in person.
The deadline to do so is noon on July 6, before Summit County makes the tallies official July 7.
It’s unclear whether the outstanding ballots are located in Summit County Council Districts 4 or 5 — or whether they are for the Republican or Democratic primaries.
It’s also unclear how many of the 183 will eventually be counted. That leaves the council races too close to call until July 7.
The general election is Nov. 3.
