And the winner is ... still unclear in several states

Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman and Republican challenger Bob Riley both claimed victory in the Alabama governor's race Wednesday, with Siegelman charging that a GOP-dominated county altered its vote totals in the middle of the night.

Congressional contests in Colorado, Louisiana, New York and Texas were still not settled, and the governor's races in Arizona and Oregon weren't decided until late Wednesday afternoon.

In Alabama, both sides sent attorneys and campaign supporters to courthouses statewide to re-check numbers and photograph the vote tallies.

Siegelman would not comment on whether he would take legal action.

Late Tuesday, election officials in Baldwin County distributed figures that showed Siegelman with 19,070 votes, enough to give him the victory in the unofficial statewide count.

But on Wednesday, the county certified results that gave Siegelman 12,736 votes while leaving Riley's numbers unchanged. That erased the governor's thin margin in the statewide count and put the GOP congressman ahead by 3,195 votes out of 1.3 million cast.

Probate Judge Adrian Johns blamed a software glitch for the earlier figures.

But Siegelman charged that the Baldwin County figures were changed after midnight when poll watchers had left, and he stood by the higher number that would give him a second term.

"Votes were changed after midnight with nobody present," he said.

Riley insisted that was not true.

Alabama does not have a law providing for an automatic recount in tight races. A voter could seek a recount from each county canvassing board, but that requires putting up a security bond.

The unofficial count showed Riley with 670,913 votes statewide, or 49 percent, Siegelman with 667,718 votes, or 49 percent, and Libertarian John Sophocleus with 23,242 votes, or 2 percent.

Both major-party politicians declared victory and acted as if they were governor-elect, with Siegelman talking to legislators about a special session and Riley appointing a chairman for his transition team.

In the Arizona governor's race, Democrat Janet Napolitano eked out a narrow win over Republican Matt Salmon. With all precincts reporting, Napolitano, the state attorney general, had 472,197 votes, or 47 percent, and Salmon, a former congressman, had 446,913 votes, or 44 percent.

Early ballots that were cast days or weeks in advance and other ballots needing to be hand-checked took hours to tally. Based on interviews with election officials around the state, The Associated Press estimated those ballots at 220,000, most in Maricopa County, normally a GOP stronghold.

In Oregon, Democrat Ted Kulongoski defeated Republican Kevin Mannix in the state's tightest race for governor in years.

With 92 percent of the vote counted, Kulongoski had 561,765 votes, or 48 percent, to 541,937 votes, or 47 percent, for Mannix.

Kulongoski said his narrow victory was particularly gratifying in view of Republican gains in Congress and around the country.

"There is a tremendous split in this state," Kulongoski said. "You saw across this country last night a very evenly divided nation."

In Vermont, the governor's race was all but decided when Democratic Lt. Gov. Doug Racine conceded to Republican state Treasurer Jim Douglas.

Douglas held a 6,000-vote lead but failed to win the 50 percent needed to avoid having the election thrown to the Legislature in January. But Racine said he would not contest the outcome.

With all but one precinct reporting, Douglas had 101,738 votes, or 45 percent, to Racine's 95,370 votes, or 42 percent. Independent Cornelius "Con" Hogan took 10 percent of the vote.

In unsettled House races, a runoff will be held Dec. 7 to decide an open seat in Louisiana, where neither Democrat Rodney Alexander nor Republican Lee Fletcher got the required 50 percent. Voters there will also choose between Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell.

In New York, the race between Rep. Felix Grucci and Democrat Tim Bishop hinged on about 6,000 absentee ballots, which were to be counted Monday. A congressional race in Colorado between Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Mike Feeley also was too close to call.

Texas Republican Rep. Henry Bonilla was re-elected with a 4,900-vote margin over Democrat Henry Cuellar. The outcome was uncertain until late Wednesday becuase of slow counting in Bexar County.

over Republican Matt Salmon. With all precincts reporting, Napolitano, the state attorney general, had 472,197 votes, or 47 percent, and Salmon, a former congressman, had 446,913 votes, or 44 percent.

Early ballots that were cast days or weeks in advance and other ballots needing to be hand-checked took hours to tally. Based on interviews with election officials around the state, The Associated Press estimated those ballots at 220,000, most in Maricopa County, normally a GOP stronghold.

In Oregon, Democrat Ted Kulongoski defeated Republican Kevin Mannix in the state's tightest race for governor in years.

With 92 percent of the vote counted, Kulongoski had 561,765 votes, or 48 percent, to 541,937 votes, or 47 percent, for Mannix.

Kulongoski said his narrow victory was particularly gratifying in view of Republican gains in Congress and around the country.

"There is a tremendous split in this state," Kulongoski said. "You saw across this country last night a very evenly divided nation."

In Vermont, the governor's race was all but decided when Democratic Lt. Gov. Doug Racine conceded to Republican state Treasurer Jim Douglas.

Douglas held a 6,000-vote lead but failed to win the 50 percent needed to avoid having the election thrown to the Legislature in January. But Racine said he would not contest the outcome.

With all but one precinct reporting, Douglas had 101,738 votes, or 45 percent, to Racine's 95,370 votes, or 42 percent. Independent Cornelius "Con" Hogan took 10 percent of the vote.

In unsettled House races, a runoff will be held Dec. 7 to decide an open seat in Louisiana, where neither Democrat Rodney Alexander nor Republican Lee Fletcher got the required 50 percent. Voters there will also choose between Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell.

In New York, the race between Rep. Felix Grucci and Democrat Tim Bishop hinged on about 6,000 absentee ballots, which were to be counted Monday. In Texas, Republican Rep. Henry Bonilla faced a similarly tight race with Democrat Henry Cuellar. A congressional race in Colorado between Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Mike Feeley also was too close to call.