DENVER -- Why isn't it certain who won the election for Colorado secretary of state?

At least 66,000 absentee and provisional ballots remained uncounted or unreported on Thursday, making it mathematically possible that Democratic state Sen. Ken Gordon could whittle away Republican state Treasurer Mike Coffman's lead.

The Associated Press contacted county officials statewide to determine how close they were to a final vote count.

AP reached officials in 60 of Colorado's 64 counties and determined that as of 11 p.m. Thursday, at least 45,800 absentee ballots and 20,349 provisional ballots were uncounted or had been counted but not publicly reported.

More votes may remain untallied, either in the counties that could not be reached, or among counties that were unable to provide a precise count of their uncounted absentees and provisionals.

The total is made up of:

The "poll vote" cast by voters on Election Day.

Early votes, cast in person at county sites before Election Day.

Absentee votes, either mailed in by the Nov. 8 deadline or dropped off in person at the county election office.

Provisional ballots. A voter casts a provisional ballot if there is some question at the polling place whether a voter or a ballot is valid. Reasons include a change of address not registered with elections officials, lack of ID and a voter being crossed off the rolls because he or she also applied for an absentee ballot.

County elections officials must verify provisional ballots before counting them. In the days after an election, they count absentees and provisionals, but are under no legal obligation to report the count to the public until Nov. 24. Many do provide public updates.

A number of local races were still up in the air in Pueblo County Friday, as election workers continued to count absentee ballots.

In the race for Pueblo Sheriff, Democratic challenger Kirk Taylor's was ahead of incumbent Republican Dan Corsentino.