CENTRE– The Alabama Senate District 10 race remained too close to call Tuesday night. Jesse Battles held a 53-vote lead over Andrew Jones, with provisional ballots still outstanding.

The combined unofficial tally from Cherokee, Etowah, and DeKalb counties put Battles at 20,341 votes. Jones had 20,288. However, outstanding provisional ballots leave the outcome unsettled.

Battles, an independent, led Etowah County with 15,716 votes to 12,277 for Jones, a Republican. Meanwhile, Jones led Cherokee County with 4,566 votes to 3,485 for Battles.

Jones also led DeKalb County, receiving 3,445 votes to 1,140 for Battles. Together, those county returns left Battles just 53 votes ahead across the three-county district.

However, that margin does not establish a winner while the effect of outstanding ballots remains unknown.

Under Alabama’s provisional voting procedures, election officials review voter eligibility before counting eligible provisional ballots. As a result, those ballots could determine whether the lead holds or changes.

For now, WEIS is reporting Battles as the leader in the unofficial returns and is not declaring a winner. The results remain unofficial and subject to the completion of the counting and certification process.

WEIS will provide updates as additional confirmed information becomes available.