Steve Schlesinger (right), a Democratic attorney for Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, reviews documents at Board of Elections headquarters in Mineola Nov. 17. Teams of volunteers, elections workers and attorneys for both Suozzi and Republican challenger Legis. Ed Mangano have been counting and verifying more than 8,000 paper ballots to determine who will be Nassau's next top-elected official. The count is now in its second week.
Nassau Republican Legis. Ed Mangano’s lead against Democratic Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi has narrowed to just 122 votes following the end of counting on Nov. 23, according to the latest ballot figures from the county Board of Elections.
The latest swing reflects ballots counted from New York State Assembly District 13, known as a Democratic stronghold. That district includes Plainview, Woodbury, Old Bethpage and Glen Cove, where Suozzi served consecutive terms as mayor and his cousin recently won re-election as such. It’s also Suozzi’s hometown.
The new tally marks the closest vote difference between the two candidates since their razor-thin county executive race was deemed too-close-to-call Election Night, Nov. 3. It has been a rollercoaster ride since then, with Suozzi initially ahead by 237 votes, Mangano taking the lead by 497 votes following a subsequent re-canvassing of voting machines, and then expanding that edge to 554 votes Nov. 16. He led Suozzi by 353 votes at the end of counting on Nov. 21.
Attorneys for both candidates, along with dozens of Board of Elections personnel and volunteers, have been working nonstop since Election Night to determine just who will be Nassau’s next top-elected official—first recounting and verifying more than 245,000 votes cast in the battle through voting machines, then beginning the lengthy tally of more than 8,000 absentee and affidavit paper ballots.
That process also allows the two sides to challenge ballots—if a signature does not match that on file, for example. State Supreme Court Justice Edward McCarty will decide those disputes.
To date, teams have counted 5,417 ballots. Five hundred forty-four have been set aside for Justice McCarty to resolve.
The count continues, with the Republican strongholds of Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Baldwin and Lynbrook to be tallied next. Voters in Nassau’s 6th Legislative District, which includes parts of Valley Stream, Lynbrook and Rockville Centre, re-elected Legis. Francis X. Becker, Jr., a Republican, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin over his Democratic challenger.
Ballots from Franklin Square, Elmont, Floral Park, North Valley Stream and Franklin Square East are expected to be tallied next week. The count will be suspended Nov. 26 through Nov. 29 for Thanksgiving holiday, to resume Nov. 30.
