Milo voters were splitting their support between the parties Tuesday night, with Democrat Laura Swarthout ahead for town clerk and Republican James Harris holding a narrower advantage for Town Council.
Yates County’s unofficial tally, released at 11:25 p.m., showed Swarthout leading Corlin Rea Merritt by 376 votes and Harris ahead of Barbara Craig by 130 votes in the town’s two contested local races.
The report listed 80% of precincts reporting countywide. That figure describes reporting progress, rather than the percentage of all expected votes counted. No affidavit votes were included in the published totals, and the results remained unofficial.
Swarthout builds lead through early voting
Laura J. Swarthout had 1,276 votes, or 58.64%, against Republican Corlin Rea Merritt’s 900 votes, or 41.36%, for town clerk.
Swarthout, listed on the Democratic and PAF lines, drew much of her advantage from early voting. She received 608 early votes to Merritt’s 281, a margin of 327 votes.
Reported Election Day voting was nearly even, with Swarthout receiving 561 votes and Merritt receiving 553. Swarthout also led the mail and absentee count, 107 to 66.
A total of 2,176 votes had been counted for the two candidates.
Harris holds narrower council advantage
Republican James R. Harris had 1,147 votes, or 53%, against Barbara J. Craig’s 1,017 votes, or 47%, for Town Council.
Craig, listed on the Democratic and STT lines, led among early voters, 506 to 372, and among mail and absentee voters, 93 to 77.
Harris overcame those advantages in reported Election Day voting, receiving 698 votes to Craig’s 418. His 280-vote Election Day margin put him ahead overall by 130 votes.
The council tally included 2,164 votes for the two candidates.
Neither contest was final Tuesday night. Additional reporting and the completion of the official count could change the totals and margins.
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