Ballots are being counted in the University of Minnesota graduate assistants' election on whether to unionize.

The state's Bureau of Mediation Services started the count at 10 a.m. today and should have the results of the election in a few hours, said Jan Johnson, the bureau's labor mediation manager.

About 4,400 graduate assistants, mostly on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses, were eligible to vote in the election, which was held last week.

Read arguments for and against the union.