Races for seats on the boards of trustees in Bristol and Mesopotamia, Lordstown Village Council and the Liberty Board of Education, as well as a new levy in Farmington, are so close that uncounted votes could decide the outcomes.

The closest race from Tuesday’s election is the Farmington 2.9-mill levy for fire and emergency medical services for a continuous period of time, which passed 152-151, based on unofficial results.

There is one provisional ballot to be counted for the levy, said Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections.

If that vote is against the levy, it would fail because a majority is needed to pass tax issues, Penrose said.

If the vote is in favor of the levy, it would pass and wouldn’t be subject to an automatic recount because the margin of victory would be 0.66 of a percent. Any results that are 0.5 of a percent or less get an automatic recount.

If the provisional ballot isn’t counted or that person didn’t vote on the levy, it would get an automatic recount because it is winning by 0.32 of a percent.

The board of elections will meet Monday to rule on provisional ballots and outstanding absentee votes. The board will certify the election results Nov. 19.

If a recount in any race is needed, the board would likely do so Nov. 24 or 25, Penrose said.

Boards of elections have to wait at least five days and no more than 10 days after certifying election results to hold automatic recounts, Penrose said.

Not all provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots get counted, she said.

For example, not everyone who requested an absentee ballot by mail returns it and if they do, it had to be postmarked by Monday, the day before the election, and has to arrive at the elections board by Saturday to be counted under state law.

People vote provisionally when they do not have a proper form of identification under state law, or moved or changed their name after the voter registration deadline.

TRUSTEE RACES

The race for the two Mesopotamia trustee seats is so close that only four votes separate first from third.

Peter Schaden received 102 votes, incumbent Joseph J. Pavlic got 100 and Tyler Miller received 98 votes with Allen Miller at 21 votes.

There are 12 provisional ballots and two outstanding absentee ballots to count in the township, which will decide which two are elected trustees.

The 0.5 of a percent margin of victory for an automatic recount in a multiple-person race, such as Mesopotamia trustee, is calculated differently than it is for a two-person race, Penrose said.

Once a first-place winner is declared, that person’s vote total isn’t counted when considering the margin of victory. With that winner’s votes taken out, the percentages for the remaining candidates are recalculated. If the margin is 0.5 of a percent or less between second and third place, then an automatic recount is held.

For Bristol trustee, Rhonda M. Snyder is winning 200-197 over Greg Maraczi for the second and final seat on the ballot.

That is outside the 0.5 of a percent needed for an automatic recount. But Penrose said the township has a total of eight outstanding ballots — one provisional, one absentee that has already arrived at the board office and six other absentee ballots that haven’t yet arrived.

In Kinsman, Loren Hopkins is ahead of incumbent Bruce O. Bancroft by seven votes, 218-211.

But there are only two outstanding absentee ballots in that race. Even if Bancroft received both votes, Hopkins’ lead would still be greater than the automatic recount threshold.

Candidates can pay for recounts if they choose.

LIBERTY SCHOOL BOARD

For the third and final seat on the Liberty school board, incumbent David Malone has 966 votes to 956 for Beth Russell. That is a 0.52 of a percent lead for Malone — just outside the threshold for an automatic recount.

But there are 56 outstanding ballots in the school district — eight provisionals, four absentees that already arrived at the board and 44 other absentee ballots that haven’t yet arrived.

LORDSTOWN COUNCIL

The election results for the fourth member of Lordstown Village Council is still up in the air.

Mark R. McGrail is ahead as of Tuesday’s election with 374 votes to 369 for incumbent Ernest Bowen.

In this race, there are two other candidates who finished sixth and seventh.

Under state law, the votes for the two candidates who finished sixth and seventh are counted with those for McGrail and Bowen when determining the margin of the former’s current lead. That margin is currently 0.37 of a percent.

There are only nine outstanding votes to count in Lordstown — five provisionals, one absentee that arrived on time and three that haven’t arrived yet.