Jordanna Mallach (Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE — Jordanna Mallach, a Harrietstown town councilwoman currently deployed in Kosovo, appears to have clinched the town supervisor seat, unofficial election results show.

With absentee ballots still to be counted, Mallach — who ran on the Democratic and independent Common Sense party lines — was the top vote-getter in the race for Harrietstown supervisor during the early voting period and on Election Day, garnering 755 votes. Her opponent, former Harrietstown supervisor Bob Bevilacqua, who ran on the Republican and Conservative party lines, got 524 votes.

The Franklin County Board of Elections issued 104 absentee ballots to Harrietstown voters, not enough for Bevilacqua to overcome Mallach’s lead.

As of Tuesday, more than 60 absentees had been mailed back to the Board of Elections. The board will continue to collect absentee ballot returns by mail until seven days after the election. The absentees will likely be opened on Nov. 15, after a 10-day cross-check period, according to the county Board of Elections.

Mallach is currently deployed with the Army as part of NATO’s Task Force Mansfield. She plans to return to town in March. She would be sworn in in January, so she’ll be away for three months of her term.

Mallach had to get approval from the Pentagon to attend town board meetings while overseas. She’ll continue using Zoom, extending online attendance of board meetings that started during the pandemic.

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This is a breaking news story. More information will be added to this story as it becomes available.