County board of elections will likely open absentee ballots Friday
CHENANGO COUNTY – While Chenango County Board of Elections can now resume sorting and opening absentee, affidavit, and military ballots after an agreement was reached in the Oneida County Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon, local officials say they will likely reach that stage on Friday.
The ballots, as well as memory cards, flash drives, paper documents, unused ballots, and other election day records have been impounded in a vault under lock and key since Friday afternoon after Anthony Brindisi requested the court order.
Following election day, Brindisi had a 1,293 vote lead over incumbent Congresswoman Claudia Tenney after receiving 117,931 votes to Tenney's 116,638. More than 17,000 absentee ballots remain to be counted and could decide the race.
Chenango County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Carol Franklin said it is not unheard of to have an impoundment ordered in a close election to ensure a fair counting process, but noted this is only the fourth time it has happened in Chenango County since she joined the board of elections in 1992.
Before the agreement was reached on Tuesday, Chenango County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Mary Lou Monahan said, "We can't touch anything. This is for the Democratic commissioners, but because everything had to be put away it affects everything, so that's why we can't do anything."
Monahan said all election day material has been vaulted under two padlocks since Friday. She said she has the key to one of the padlocks, and Franklin has the key to the other to ensure a bipartisan opening.
"This is another situation of every vote counts," said Monahan.
Before the impoundment order was issued on Friday, Franklin said they were in the process of validating or invalidating affidavit votes.
They now have the green light to open the vault and resume sorting election day absentee, affidavit, and military ballots, but Franklin said they wouldn't get to counting until Friday at the earliest, as they have an audit scheduled for Thursday.
Six of the eight counties in New York's 22nd Congressional District, including Broome, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Oswego counties will begin counting absentee, affidavit, and military ballots on Wednesday.
Pictured: The vault at Chenango County Board of Elections containing all election records from this year's midterm was padlocked since Friday afternoon after a state Supreme Court judge ordered the impoundment of all ballots in the 22nd Congressional Race between Claudia Tenney and Anthony Brindisi. An agreement was reached in the court Tuesday afternoon permitting counties to begin counting absentee, affidavit, and military ballots on Wednesday. (Grady Thompson photo)
The ballots, as well as memory cards, flash drives, paper documents, unused ballots, and other election day records have been impounded in a vault under lock and key since Friday afternoon after Anthony Brindisi requested the court order.
Following election day, Brindisi had a 1,293 vote lead over incumbent Congresswoman Claudia Tenney after receiving 117,931 votes to Tenney's 116,638. More than 17,000 absentee ballots remain to be counted and could decide the race.
Chenango County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Carol Franklin said it is not unheard of to have an impoundment ordered in a close election to ensure a fair counting process, but noted this is only the fourth time it has happened in Chenango County since she joined the board of elections in 1992.
Before the agreement was reached on Tuesday, Chenango County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Mary Lou Monahan said, "We can't touch anything. This is for the Democratic commissioners, but because everything had to be put away it affects everything, so that's why we can't do anything."
Monahan said all election day material has been vaulted under two padlocks since Friday. She said she has the key to one of the padlocks, and Franklin has the key to the other to ensure a bipartisan opening.
"This is another situation of every vote counts," said Monahan.
Before the impoundment order was issued on Friday, Franklin said they were in the process of validating or invalidating affidavit votes.
They now have the green light to open the vault and resume sorting election day absentee, affidavit, and military ballots, but Franklin said they wouldn't get to counting until Friday at the earliest, as they have an audit scheduled for Thursday.
Six of the eight counties in New York's 22nd Congressional District, including Broome, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Oswego counties will begin counting absentee, affidavit, and military ballots on Wednesday.
Pictured: The vault at Chenango County Board of Elections containing all election records from this year's midterm was padlocked since Friday afternoon after a state Supreme Court judge ordered the impoundment of all ballots in the 22nd Congressional Race between Claudia Tenney and Anthony Brindisi. An agreement was reached in the court Tuesday afternoon permitting counties to begin counting absentee, affidavit, and military ballots on Wednesday. (Grady Thompson photo)
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