YOUNGSTOWN — Every vote counts and that was proven as the 7th Ward council race is tied, according to election night unofficial results.

Basia Adamczak, the Democratic incumbent, and challenger Donald P. Scott, a retired city police officer, each finished with 567 votes Tuesday.

There are at least 19 provisional ballots — it could grow — to be counted in this race. The count by the Mahoning County Board of Elections cannot begin any earlier than 10 days after the election and will determine the winner. If the final results remain within one-half of 1 percent, an automatic recount would be held.

Both candidates were initially shocked when told of the tie.

“Wow, we’ll figure it out,” Scott said. “That’s messed up. We’ll see what happens. Apparently the voters aren’t sure who they want. The provisional ballots will decide. I’m very surprised.”

Adamczak said: “I’m being completely honest, I don’t know what to say at this moment. It’s weird. I feel confident and we’ll wait for the provisionals and go from there.”

The 7th Ward takes in the Southeast portion of the city.

If Scott ends up winning, he’d be the first independent candidate elected to city council in 24 years.

Provisional ballots are when a voter can’t verify eligibility largely for three reasons: a move into a precinct within 30 days of the election, a name change without updating voter registration or lack of proper identification provided when voting, said Thomas McCabe, deputy director of the board of elections.

Provisional voters have 10 days to verify their address, name and / or provide proper identification to the board for their ballots to count.

In the contested races for the 3rd, 4th and 5th Wards, it was a clean sweep for Democrats, according to unofficial election night results.

Three other Democrats ran unopposed for seats in the 1st, 2nd and 6th Wards.

In the 3rd Ward, Samantha Turner, who won the Democratic primary in May, received 86 percent of the vote defeating Adrian McDowell for the seat being vacated by Nate Pinkard, a Democrat. The ward includes most of the North Side.

“I’m grateful for the support from the community in the 3rd Ward,” Turner said. “I put myself out there and I’m very happy they believed in me.”

Meanwhile, incumbent Democrats Mike Ray and Lauren McNally were also easily re-elected to council’s 4th and 5th Wards, respectively.

The 4th Ward covers the upper West Side while the 5th Ward takes in the lower West Side and a small portion of the North Side.

Ray won his third four-year term, with 70 percent of the vote, beating Stephen T. Lesko Jr. with 29 percent and write-in Michael A. Harvey with 1 percent.

“I’m looking forward to another term to continue the work I’ve done,” Ray said. “I have a good working relationship with council and voters recognized that.”

McNally won her second two-year term, beating Corrine Sanderson, a Youngstown school board member, 75 percent to 25 percent.

“I’m really happy that the people of the 5th Ward like what I’m doing and have faith in me to allow me to continue,” McNally said.

Running unopposed Tuesday for council seats were Julius Oliver in the 1st Ward, which includes downtown and portions of the city’s North and East sides; Anita Davis in the 6th Ward, which includes most of the South Side; and Jimmy Hughes, a retired Youngstown police chief, in the 2nd Ward, which takes in most of the city’s East Side. This will be the second four-year terms for Oliver and Davis on council and Hughes’ first. They won Democratic primaries in May. Hughes will replace two-term Councilman T.J. Rodgers, a Democrat who chose not to seek re-election this year.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com