November 19, 2008 According to the Associated Press, John McCain has defeated President-elect Barack Obama in the state of Missouri:
“McCain’s narrow victory over Obama breaks a bellwether streak in which Missourians had picked the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1956.
“With all jurisdictions reporting complete but unofficial results, McCain led Obama by 3,632 votes Wednesday out of more than 2.9 million cast—a margin of 0.12 percentage points.
“Both men spent considerable resources trying to win Missouri, a state that Obama ultimately did not need for his national victory.
“Obama won 365 electoral votes. Missouri's 11 electoral votes will give McCain 173.”
November 11, 2008 Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has reported a current total of 49.4% votes for John McCain and 49.3% for Barack Obama.
Obama and the state’s 104-year record as the nation’s best presidential bellwether both hinge on 7,085 votes in the state that have yet to be counted. All are “provisional ballots” cast by people whose status as registered voters could not be verified when they showed up at the polls on Election Day. The conventional wisdom early was that about 3,000 of the provisional ballots would be valid and Obama could not win the state even if he were to win all these provisional ballot votes.
However, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the vote count in Missouri is tightening as McCain’s lead has shrunk to fewer than 5,000 votes now that various counties have recounted and revised totals:
“Since Election Day, Obama has gained almost 1,000 votes statewide, most of it from St. Louis County.
“County election officials have recovered almost 3,200 additional votes in the last few days. Most of them came from various electronic voting machines where the votes had apparently not been tallied by polling place workers during the initial collection of votes.
“Missouri remains the only state where it’s officially unclear which candidate carried the state. And it may take another two or three weeks before a winner is declared.
“McCain’s latest lead is 4,968 votes, out of more than 2.9 million cast. Yet to be counted: an estimated 7,000 provisional ballots—most cast in Obama-leaning areas—that are just now being examined to determine which ones were cast by properly registered voters in the correct polling place.
“Counties have another week to verify and certify their official counts, which will include the approved provisional ballots. Secretary of State Carnahan then has two weeks to certify the state results. Only then can any recounts be sought.”