Summit County Council race tightens as final ballots near completion, recount possible

The Utah state flag. Photo: Courtesy of Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement

PARK CITY, Utah – Initial vote tallies indicate an extremely tight race in Summit County’s Council Seat C race, with just one percentage point separating candidates Democrat Megan McKenna and Republican Ari Ioannides as election officials continue counting in-person ballots.

McKenna initially led Ioannides in Summit County’s Council Seat C race, but the gap narrowed to just 1% as of November 12, with 278 votes separating them. The Summit County Clerk’s Office, processing about 700 remaining ballots, expects to release final results by Friday or Saturday, with official certification on Nov. 19.

Utah law requires a recount if the margin falls to 0.25%. Meanwhile, the Clerk’s Office worked through extensive mail-in and write-in ballots, including high numbers of write-ins for gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman, adding time to the count.