If the votes stay close in Oregon
A clue that the race may tip to Merkley: Many of the uncounted ballots are from Multnomah County, home to the city of Portland. Merkley, the speaker of the state House of Representatives, represents an East Portland district in the Oregon House.
To counter that, Smith campaign manager Brooks Kochvar issued a statement Wednesday that noted votes are also still being counted in other, Republican-leaning counties such as Clackamas, Jackson, Linn and Marion counties.