Ontario County election officials are still processing hundreds of outstanding ballots, leaving a razor-thin margin in the race for Canandaigua town supervisor as of Monday evening.
According to the latest Board of Elections update, 212 canvassed mail ballots remain to be scanned, along with additional ballots that may still arrive by mail through November 12. Ten mail-in ballots and one affidavit ballot require voter cures. Military and overseas ballots will be accepted through November 17, meaning several races will not be fully settled until next week.
Hundreds of ballots still in play
The county has already scanned 1,296 mail ballots, but more remain in the queue. Officials reported:
- 212 canvassed mail ballots not yet scanned
- 10 mail ballots awaiting cure
- 1 affidavit ballot awaiting cure
- 136 affidavit ballots already canvassed
- Mail ballots may continue arriving through Wednesday, provided they carry a valid postmark
- Military and overseas ballots may arrive through November 17
Once all eligible ballots are received, the Board plans to begin scanning the remaining mail and affidavit ballots on November 12. Recanvassing of voting machines is scheduled for November 17.
The closest race: Canandaigua own supervisor
The tightest margin in the county remains the Town of Canandaigua supervisor race, where Republican Jared Simpson leads Democrat Don Cotter by a single vote:
- Simpson: 1,708
- Cotter: 1,707
With 33 unscanned mail ballots from the Town of Canandaigua alone — plus any incoming ballots through Wednesday and potential cure ballots — this race is still far from decided. Cotter holds a small advantage among affidavit ballots (22 were accepted from the town), and Democrats lead in the unscanned mail-in tally in that municipality (18 Democratic to 9 Republican).
Where outstanding ballots are concentrated
Municipalities with the largest number of unscanned mail ballots include:
- Town of Canandaigua: 33
- Farmington: 22
- Victor: 22
- City of Canandaigua: 31
- Richmond: 12
- South Bristol: 14
These pockets of outstanding ballots matter most in municipalities with close races — and Canandaigua remains the primary battleground.
What’s next
The Board of Elections will resume ballot scanning on Wednesday afternoon after the final day for mailed ballots to arrive. Military and overseas ballots will be added as they come in through November 17.
Certification will follow once all cures are resolved, all eligible ballots are counted, and machine recanvassing is completed. The county estimates certification by November 29 at the latest.
Ontario County’s results remain unofficial until then — and for now, at least one major race remains genuinely undecided.
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