Gore edges ahead of Bush in ongoing Oregon count

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) -- In the "other" undecided state of Oregon, Democrat Al Gore Thursday edged ahead of Republican George W. Bush in balloting for U.S. president as election workers counted the last handfuls of ballots cast.

While the nation focused on the dramatic recount of votes in Florida, where the 25 electoral votes will determine the next president, Oregon was still unable to award its seven electoral votes even with 96 percent of ballots counted.

Vice President Gore with 666,997 votes, or 47.43 percent, led Texas Gov. Bush, with 664,805, or 47.27 percent. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader tallied 68,812 votes, or 4.89 percent.

"It is intense," said Lynn Rosik, Oregon director of elections. "We've had many races this close before, but not in a presidential race with everybody looking at us like this."

Oregon switched to all-mail balloting for the first time this year, but Rosik said the extreme closeness of Tuesday'svote, not the speed of the counting, had delayed the verdict.

State officials do not call a winner until 100 percent of the votes are counted, leaving media outlets to project the victor.

"As soon as the media people who are watching the race feel comfortable enough, they will call it," Rosik said.

Across the country the votes in many states were extremely close. In one New Mexico county, a recount left that state's five electoral votes undecided after Gore narrowly won on election day.

But Florida's 25 electoral votes would lift either candidate past the magic number of 270 out of 538 needed to claim the White House.

None of the major networks had declared a victor in Oregon, leaving Gore with 260 electoral votes and Bush with 246.

State not voted Republican president since 1984

Oregon has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984, but this race was tight enough that Bush and Gore made several swings through the state, and television campaigning was among the most intense in the nation.

Cities such as Portland and Eugene have traditionally backed Democrats while conservative rural areas have voted Republican.

The state boasts a large environmental movement and is home to many anti-free trade activists, many of whom took part in protests against the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle last year.

Nader has strong followings in both those groups, making Oregon one of his strongest showings.

As in Florida, Nader's vote total was larger than the gap between Gore and Bush, adding evidence pointing to his role as a spoiler.

Nader has rejected that label, and Green Party supporters have said Nader voters would not necessarily have voted for Gore over Bush if that were the only choice.

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