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Absentee ballots confirm winners in H’town, Franklin

MALONE — A count of Franklin County absentee ballots took place Thursday, changing the vote numbers in two close local races but not the ultimate results.

As indicated at the polls on Election Day Nov. 7, Democratic challengers Tracey Schrader and Jordanna Mallach defeated incumbents Ron Keough and Ed Goetz for two seats on the Harrietstown Town Council. Meanwhile, Tom Bartiss and Don Hamm retained their seats on the Franklin Town Council over challengers Nancy Bernstein and Amy McCormick.

In both towns, absentee ballots closed the gap between winning and losing candidates but ultimately did not tip the outcome.

In Harrietstown, the town council race’s final numbers are as follows:

¯ Tracey Schrader 611 votes (27 absentee ballots added)

¯ Jordanna Mallach 605 (25)

¯ Ron Keough 592 (36)

¯ Ed Goetz 556 (34).

In Franklin, town council final results are as follows:

¯ Tom Bartiss, 320 (18)

¯ Don Hamm 238 (8)

¯ Nancy Bernstein 234 (13)

¯ Amy McCormick 129 (4).

Election workers commented that in several cases the U.S. Postal Service made voting difficult, with 35 ballots in Malone arriving wet from having been dropped in a puddle. Democratic election commissioner Kelly Cox said in some cases they had to overnight-mail ballots to voters who had been inadvertently dropped from voter rolls.

“It wasn’t just here,” said Cox. “This was a problem all over the United States. Unfortunately, the post office has screwed up a lot of things.”

Cox explained that when people cancel their post office boxes, even if they haven’t moved their residence, the Postal Service will mark their mail “undeliverable.”

“Then we have to, by law, take them off the voter rolls,” said Cox. “People come in to vote, and they’re not on the rolls. Then they have to vote by affidavit.”

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