In the topsy-turvy landscape that is Election Day in Waukesha County, Tuesday’s 98^th Assembly District followed suit with its own twists and turns.

On Election Day, 28-year-old Republican Adam Neylon claimed a slim victory over former Pewaukee Police Chief Ed Baumann in the race for Sen. Paul Farrow’s vacated sat. Neylon clipped Baumann by just 30 votes, and speculation has arisen whether 159 outstanding absentee ballots could turn the tide in favor of Baumann.

However, those waves are merely ripples.

A total of 159 absentee ballots are still outstanding in the Village of Pewaukee, Pewaukee, Sussex, and Waukesha. However, of those 159 ballots, just 10 have been returned to their respective clerk’s offices. In order to be counted, absentee ballots must be postmarked by Feb. 19.

According to Novack, the outstanding absentee distribution is as follows: 

• Waukesha: 66 (4 returned)
  
• Village of Pewaukee: 39 (4 returned) 
• Sussex: 28 (1 returned) 
• Pewaukee: 21 (1 returned) 

To even tie, Baumann would need 20 more ballots to come through the mail by Friday. Every single ballot would have to be a vote for Baumann. That fact has not been lost on Neylon.

“I expect it to turn out the same way. In terms of the amount that will be returned, I just don’t see it panning out any different,” Neylon said. “My campaign did the numbers on the voting trends and they had me actually picking up one vote.”

Baumann also isn’t overreacting to the 159 absentee ballots.

“We’re going to see what happens. It’s just a wait and see attitude. There’s a chance a lot of them could come in or none could come in,” Baumann said.

Here are the final, unofficial results from Tuesday:

If the vote is close, which it likely still will be, Baumann doesn’t have any plans to request a recount. 

Waukesha County Clerk Kathleen Novack said after the Friday deadline, they’ll have an unofficial vote total tallied for Monday. By Tuesday or early Wednesday, the final canvass of the votes should be completed.