11/06/2008 5:55 PM ET

UNDATED- Maryland's 1st District congressional race is still too close to call with the outcome to be determined by thousands of absentee ballots which offices began counting Thursday.

According to the state Board of Elections, Democrat Frank Kratovil remains ahead of Republican Andy Harris by nearly 2,000 votes.

Kratovil has 167,101 votes while Harris has 165,230 votes. 

Absentee ballots remain uncounted in four counties: Cecil, Harford, Talbot and Worcester. More than 28,500 ballots were received in the 1st District by Thursday.

Provisional ballots will be counted on Monday while military and the remaining absentee ballots will be counted Friday, Nov. 14.

The conservative Harris is a three-term state senator from Cockeysville in Baltimore County. Kratovil is the Queen Anne's County state's attorney.

The district includes the Eastern Shore and parts of the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Cecil and Harford.