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Democrat's Chances Slim In Close Special Election For Ohio's 12th Congressional District

File photo outside an Ohio polling place. (Tony Ganzer / ideastream)

by Nick Evans, WOSU

In Central Ohio, some 8,000 outstanding ballots are giving Democrat Danny O’Connor a tiny glimmer of hope in the race to represent Ohio’s 12th congressional district.  

But it's a long-shot.

Republican Troy Balderson holds a narrow lead in the race—besting O’Connor by less than 2,000 votes.

There are enough remaining ballots to flip the final result.

But Ohio State emeritus political scientist Herb Asher explains the chances are slim.

“O’Connor would need about 60 percent of the absentee and provisional votes in order to overcome that 1,700 vote deficit that he has,” Asher says.

It’s a near certainty some of the roughly 8,400 provisional and absentee ballots will be thrown out, which could only make O’Connor’s task harder.

State law mandates county election boards wait 11 days to begin counting those votes, so they’ll begin August 18.