As of Wednesday afternoon, Orem City Council candidates Jeff Lambson, Jenn Gale and Chris Killpack were poised to win the three open seats.

According to the Utah County Election Division, 91% of ballots that have been received have been processed. The county may still receive mail-in ballots as long as they were postmarked by Monday.

Unofficial results, last updated early Wednesday evening, show Lambson leading with 19.2%, Gale with 18.1% and Killpack with 17.8%. Crystal Muhlestein has gathered 16.8% of the vote, Matt McKell 15.5% and Spencer Rands 12.4%. Between Tuesday night and Wednesday evening, the margin between Killpack and Muhlestein shrunk slightly, with Muhlestein gaining 126 votes, making a 460-vote difference between the third- and fourth-place candidates.

So far, Orem has had a voter turnout of 35%, according to data from Utah County.

“I knocked on thousands of doors and talked with thousands of voters,” Muhlestein said Wednesday. “I love Orem and love raising my family here. No matter the result, I’ll continue to be involved in our community.”

Killpack, with the slim margin over Muhlstein, said the race seems too close to call and he is waiting to “see what the future holds.” Muhlestein was unable to be reached for comment.

Lambson said regardless of the election’s outcome, he hopes residents can “put aside any differences and work together to solve any future issues.”

“The last few election cycles have been unlike anything Orem has experienced,” Lambson said in a statement. “My hope is that the division spreading across the country does not take root in Orem City. I choose to believe that Orem’s best days still lie ahead.”

Gale conveyed her appreciation to outgoing council members Terry Peterson and Debby Lauret for their years of service and said she’s watching the results like many others to see how the race ends.

“I commend everyone who voted in this election and participated in the process,” Gale said. “No matter who you voted for, I believe that we can all agree that it is a privilege that we get to choose who represents us.”

Rands expressed gratitude for those who volunteered for his campaign and their hard work. “As we head into Thanksgiving, I am grateful to live in a nation where myself and so many can be a part of the local election process.” McKell declined to comment, saying he would like to wait until the final results are in before making a statement.

This year’s Orem City Council race has been heavily debated, particularly on local issues like growth, housing development and transportation.

During the final debate at Utah Valley University, Gale, Lambson and Killpack used their closing statements to address a flyer sent to residents by Stand for Orem, a local political action committee.

The flyer claimed that individuals who supported high-density housing had either endorsed or donated to Killpack, Gale or Lambson. The three candidates have expressed support for what they called responsible growth and have not made statements saying they support high-density housing.

McKell, Rands and Muhlestein received endorsements from Stand for Orem PAC, while Killpack, Lambson and Gale were endorsed by Stronger Orem, another local political action committee.

Financial disclosures for the race show candidates put tens of thousands of dollars into the race, with Gale acquiring the most for her campaign at $43,900 after combining cash donations, loans and in-kind contributions. Lambson received the least into his campaign at a combined $15,764.

Also on the ballot was the option to renew Orem’s CARE tax, which funds arts, recreation and parks in the city. As of Wednesday afternoon, 64.4% of votes were to approve the renewal for CARE, which is one-tenth of 1% on local sales tax, while 35.5% voted against it.

The CARE tax is something all six of the candidates supported as well as current City Council members and Mayor David Young.

The results for the race will be finalized during the election canvas at the next Orem City Council meeting on Dec. 5.