Lead dwindles for transportation measure

The lead became thinner for the transportation sales tax hike known as Measure R, as the Los Angeles County registrar Friday resumed counting ballots.

Measure R needed two-thirds approval, and Friday’s tally brought yes votes down from 67.4% to 67.2%. There are still about 450,000 late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots to be counted, with the registrar scheduled to resume tallying Tuesday.

Campaign officials for Measure R said they expect it will pass because the late absentee votes and provisional ballots tend to favor Measure R more than the early-arriving absentee ballots counted Friday.