In East Greenwich, Town Council member Kim Petti is the winner — for now — of a fifth slot on the council after a count of provisional ballots yesterday gave him a 2-vote edge over former council member Carl Hoyer.

The two have been locked in a tie since mail ballots were tabulated shortly after the election. Unofficial results released by the state Board of Elections yesterday, had incumbent Petti with 3,901 votes and Hoyer with 3,899.

Hoyer said he will ask for a recount.

For residents in Lincoln and Pawtucket, the counting of provisional ballots affirmed incumbent Republican state Rep. William J. McManus’ narrow win over Lincoln Town Councilman Ronald A. Loparto in House District 46. Numbers from the state Board of Elections had McManus’ 11-vote margin increasing to 16 votes.

After Tuesday night’s count of machine and mail-in ballots, McManus had been leading 2,811 to 2,800. Provisional ballots from Lincoln and Pawtucket added 7 to McManus’ total and 2 to Loparto’s.

Provisional ballots are ballots that are issued on Election Day when there is some question about a voter’s eligibility. The ballots are issued on the condition that they are not viable until reviewed by the state Board of Elections. Hoyer, whose bid for council marked a return to East Greenwich politics after a six-year hiatus, said he felt that asking for a recall was the only prudent thing to do in such a close race.

“If it was a gap of a dozen votes or more, then I don’t think there would be anything I could do,” he said yesterday. “But it’s so close that I feel it’s incumbent upon me to ask for a recall — it ain’t over till it’s over.”

Hoyer, 76, said he has been heartened by the nearly 100 supportive phone calls he has received in the days after the election. He served on the Town Council from 1995 to 2000, the last two years as its president. Prior to that, he was on the School Committee from 1977 to 1988.

Petti, who is seeking a second term on the council which consists of all at-large seats, said he was exhausted after the ups and downs of election week and would not have asked for a recall if he had been the one to be down by 2 votes after the provisional count. “I don’t think I would have spent the taxpayers’ money with it this close,” he said. “It’s clear that about 3,900 people voted for both of us, so I don’t think voters will be disappointed either way.

“Look at the way this week went,” said Petti. “On election night I was the winner by five votes. After the mail ballots were counted it was tie. Now, I’m supposedly the winner again, but this time by two votes. With my luck it will probably go back to a tie, and if that’s what happens after the recount then he can have it.”