VANCE, Alabama, May 17 (Reuters) - The outcome of a vote

on Friday by workers at a Mercedes-Benz factory in

Alabama will be a key referendum on whether the United Auto

Workers can maintain momentum in the historically anti-union

South, but the union trails in early voting.

With votes representing almost half of eligible workers

counted, employees at the plant were rejecting the UAW by a

count of 1,451 to 1,073, according to a tally posted online by

the UAW. About 5,100 workers were eligible to vote, and the

tallies were being tabulated in batches so it was unclear how

the voting will end.

Much of the politically conservative South has treated

left-leaning unions as enemies, passing laws that make it

difficult to operate, and anti-union forces have warned that

companies are more likely to close union factories. A previous

UAW corruption scandal that resulted in the arrest of several

leaders further eroded support.

The UAW hopes to continue a run that includes an

overwhelming organizing victory at a Volkswagen

plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as a lucrative new

contract at six Daimler Truck facilities across the South.

Daimler Truck was spun off from what is now Mercedes.

A win at Mercedes would make it the second foreign-owned

automaker in the U.S. South to join the UAW, a historic feat in

a region that has previously been inhospitable to unions.

VW workers twice voted against the UAW before last month's

win, and Nissan ( NSANF ) workers at a plant in Mississippi

rejected the UAW by a wide margin in 2017. In 2021, workers at

an Amazon.com ( AMZN ) warehouse in Alabama voted against

forming a union by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

Results of the election are being overseen by the U.S.

National Labor Relations Board.

Mercedes made its feelings clear in the run-up. Signs urging

workers to vote "no" were hung around the plant, and the company

hired anti-union firms to speak with workers about the potential

risks of joining the UAW, according to workers, as well as

photos and audio reviewed by Reuters.

Mercedes has rejected claims it prevented union organizing

efforts in Alabama. A spokeswoman said the company respects

employee unionizing efforts and is ensuring every worker has a

chance to vote by secret ballot while having the information

needed to make an informed choice.

Political opposition has been staunch in this campaign, too.

Six U.S. governors, including Alabama's Kay Ivey, signed a

letter asking workers to reject the UAW. They said unionization

would stunt the auto industry's growth across the South.

Workers on both sides expect this election to be close.

Mercedes employee Kay Finklea, who is pro-UAW, said the

company's messaging, including a recent anti-union push with a

local pastor, has swayed some to vote "no."

Clinching a win at Mercedes is a critical step in UAW

President Shawn Fain's $40 million mission to organize more than

a dozen automakers across the nation, including Toyota ( TM )

and Tesla. It would also allow the union to add to its

dwindling ranks.