Yes, really. Three votes.

The elections division still has over 10,000 ballots left to count today and thousands more through next week, but the latest numbers show Mark Begich leading Sen. Ted Stevens 125,019 to 125,016.

The new numbers, reflecting nearly 43,000 absentee ballots counted today, are from all over the state. Election night, Ted Stevens led the Democratic Begich by about 3,000 votes.

The state today is counting a total of about 60,000 absentee and questioned ballots.

Isn’t it odd how late vote counts inexorably favor Democrats? Ah well. If Stevens, Chambliss, and Coleman all end up losing, then the magic number 60 is attained and we’re at endgame — although for the moment, I’m more dismayed at the thought that we might be denied a Senator ‘Cuda after all. Exit quotation: “[I]f they call an audible on me, and if they say they want me in another position, I’m going to do it.”