|
AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .
Carole Osterink
ccSCOOP Editor
12-03-09 - 2:30 p.m. - On November 24, the Republicans dropped their challenges to absentee ballots in all the towns except Taghkanic, so this morning the absentee ballots for Ancram, Austerlitz, Claverack, and Stuyvesnt were counted. Eight election inspectors working at two tables took less than two hours to count the remaining paper ballots.
In Ancram, after the canvass of the machine vote, Democrat Art Bassin led incumbent Republican Thomas Dias 317 to 302. Bassin widened his lead considerably in the absentee ballots, picking up 21 votes to Dias’s 8 in the first round of absentee ballot counting and 75 to Dias’s 8 in today’s round. The final tally in this race is Bassin 413 and Dias 318. |
|
Claverack constituent Katy Cashen and Democratic candidate for Claverack Town Supervisor Robin Andrews tabulate the vote as the absentee ballots from Claverack are counted. |
In Austerlitz, Republican Jeff Braley led incumbent Democrat George Jahn by 77 votes when the machine votes had been canvassed. Jahn picked up 26 votes to Braley’s 13 in the first round of absentee counting. Today he picked up another 47 votes to Braley’s 9, but it still wasn’t enough. Braley won by 26 votes and will replace George Jahn as Austerlitz Town Supervisor.
In Claverack, the machine vote put Democratic challenger Robin Andrews ahead of incumbent Republican Jim Keegan by 21 votes: 872 to 851. In the first round of absentee ballot counting, Andrews picked up 55 votes to Keegan’s 48. In today’s round, Andrews picked up 43 votes to Keegan’s 14, making Andrews the winner by a comfortable 57 votes: 970 to 913.
In Stuyvesant, incumbent Republican Valerie Bertram led Democratic challenger Lee Jamison by 29 votes after the canvass of the machine vote. In the first round of absentee ballot counting, Bertram picked up 16 votes to Jamison’s 10, widening her lead to 35. Today Jamison picked up 18 votes to Bertram’s 3, but it wasn’t enough. Bertram won reelection by 20 votes: 397 to 377.
Yesterday in court, attorney Kathleen O’Keefe dropped her objections to three absentee ballots from Taghkanic, and those votes were counted today. All voted straight Republican, so, with many ballots still challenged and uncounted, the tally in the races for town supervisor and two seats on town council is as follows:
SUPERVISOR
Betty Young (Republican) 326
Loretta Hoffman (Democrat) 255
TOWN COUNCIL
Thomas Kiely (Republican) 302
Larry Kadish (Democrat) 254
Erik Tyree (Republican) 306
Joyce Thompson (Democrat) 256
|
