The Onondaga County Board of Elections is expected to be back at full strength on Monday to count the remaining 30,000 absentee ballots. Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny is ready.
"We can't wait to get in here to get this done and be able to do all the post-election processes that we need to do."
The count was halted almost two weeks ago after they learned an employee had tested positive for COVID-19. About a dozen others ultimately tested positive but were asymptomatic. Czarny says there were no reported cases among the roughly 100 observers who filled four large rooms at the board’s offices for the first few days of counting. He says the space will look different on Monday; they borrowed plexiglass barriers from another county, and employees will be wearing face shields in addition to cloth masks.
"We've also gotten agreement from the observers to limit themselves to one person from each party per table. New York State election law never envisioned a scenario like this where we have thousands upon thousands of absentees and then lots of candidates wanting to be a part of that."
Czarny says initially, the Board asked the parties to limit observers to two people from each party at each table, but election law doesn't include any limits. Three races hang in the balance: The wide open 50th senate district between Angi Renna and John Mannion, where Renna holds a 5,500 vote lead; the 127th assembly district, where democratic incumbent Al Stirpe holds a roughly 1,000 vote lead over republican challenger Mark Venesky; and a seat on family court. Czarny notes a large percentage of the absentee ballots are going to democrats.
