Following an intense wait for the absentee ballot count, Democrats Jackson Puylara and Diane Draheim have been confirmed as the winners in the Seneca Falls Town Board and Town Justice races respectively.
On election night, Puylara had a narrow lead of 21 votes over his Republican opponent Wendy Crane, while Draheim led by 17 votes against Republican T. J. Casamassima.
The final tally on Tuesday, which included 51 absentee, affidavit, and hand count ballots, not only confirmed their leads but also increased their margins.
Puylara’s victory was solidified with an additional 32 votes from Tuesday’s count, bringing his total to 1,137, while Crane gained 18 votes, finishing with 1,102 votes.
Meanwhile, Republican incumbent Dawn Dyson was reelected to the Town Board with a total of 1,331 votes, and Democratic incumbent Steve Churchill lost his bid for reelection, receiving 1,059 votes.
The Seneca County Board of Elections counted a total of 50 absentee, affidavit, and hand count ballots from Seneca Falls on Tuesday.
In the closely contested town justice race, Draheim’s lead expanded after the additional counts. She received 27 more votes, totaling 1,143, while Casamassima gained 22 votes, bringing his count to 1,126. This extended Draheim’s margin by 5 more votes.
The results will remain unofficial until the end of the week.
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