U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s first name was misspelled on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform lines on absentee ballots mailed out in Warren County for the Nov. 8 election.

The error, however, will not prevent votes from being counted, said Mary Beth Casey, the county Republican elections commissioner.

“It was a spelling error, which has been adjusted,” Casey said.

Stefanik’s first name was printed as “Elsie” instead of Elise.

“It’s all the same letters. It’s that it was just obviously transposed,” Casey said. “We feel terrible about it. We called, and the candidate has graciously accepted our apology.”

Casey said absentee ballots mailed out from this point forward will have the correct spelling, and the Election Day ballot will have the correct spelling.

Votes for Stefanik on absentee ballots already submitted with the incorrect spelling will still be counted in her vote total.

“That doesn’t change the standing of whatever votes have already been cast and mailed in. Those ballots are as good as gold,” Casey said.

Requests for absentee ballots submitted by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 1.

Nov. 7 is the deadline to request an absentee ballot in person at a county Board of Elections office.

Stefanik, R-Willsboro, is running for re-election in the 21st Congressional District against Democrat Mike Derrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls.

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(Editor’s note: Four daily newspapers in the North Country – the Enterprise, Post-Star of Glens Falls, Watertown Daily Times and Press-Republican of Plattsburgh – are sharing content to better cover New York’s 21st Congressional District.)