The 10 votes separating District 12 state Senate candidates Republican David Nething and Democrat John Grabinger grew to 12 after the Stutsman County canvassing board met Monday.

The new votes stem from 14 absentee ballots that were added to the mix, giving Nething eight more votes and Grabinger another six. Nething, the incumbent, now leads 2,983 to Grabinger's 2,971.

The race should come to a conclusion after the state canvassing board meets Tuesday to confirm the election results, which will go through a required recount.

The new votes for the District 12 Senate race came from 40 absentee and military absentee ballots for Stutsman County, said county auditor Noel Johnson.

Of those 40 ballots, 14 were counted in District 12, he said.

Johnson said eight of the 40 absentee ballots were thrown out because they were either mailed after the Nov. 3 deadline or had faulty or missing signatures.

If Nething is declared the winner, Republicans will continue to control the state Senate with a 26-21 majority.

- Brian Duggan