Need proof that your vote counts? Just talk to Alama Uluave.

The first-time candidate for elected office won the race for Salt Lake City School Board District 2 by a single vote.

"Well, I'm relieved it's over," Uluave, 46, said. "It's been a nail-biter, going up and down and not knowing."

The roller coaster began on election night, when Uluave went to bed 50 votes behind his opponent, J. Michael Clara. Come the morning of Nov. 3, however, he was up by six.

But there were still provisional ballots to count, and after two weeks of waiting - described by Uluave as "excruciating" - his advantage had narrowed to three.

His last hurdle wasn't cleared until Wednesday morning when an official recount - 3,877 votes were cast - showed that he won the race by a single tally.

"As long as I'm ahead, I'll take it," said Uluave, a Tonga native and father to seven daughters.

The request for the recount came from Clara, a longtime activist, who learned Tuesday evening that he was eligible for a recount. The 38-year-old transit planner already knew his loss was official when he was reached by phone Wednesday afternoon, but he couldn't help but laugh and say "yikes" when a reporter told him how close it had been.

"You think about the one or two days you didn't go campaigning," he said. "That could've made the difference."

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen, who has watched over elections for 13 years, said getting the word out about close races is important, especially for eligible voters who think their opinions don't matter.

"One vote counts, that's for sure," Swensen said.

The only other time she has seen a one-vote spread was last year, when David Colton edged Aleta Taylor, 301 to 300, for the South Jordan City Council seat in District 4.

Meanwhile, the results of the race for Jordan School District 4 were certified Tuesday evening. Sherril Taylor, in the lead from the beginning, received 7,961 votes, beating out Greg Lloyd by 84 votes.

And in Ogden, school board candidate Betty Sawyer asked for a recount Tuesday after a tally of provisional and absentee ballots put her two votes behind candidate Joyce Wilson. Sawyer had led by two votes on election night, but trailed 370 to 372 in the final count. That recount is expected to take a week.

jravitz@sltrib.com

Salt Lake County School Board

District 2 final results

l Alama Uluave 1,939

l J. Michael Clara 1,938