Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Erie County Board Of Elections is re-canvassing election results for New York's 142nd Assembly District after incumbent Patrick Burke (D) declared victory over Marc Priore (R).
Erie County GOP Commissioner Ralph Mohr says it could take almost two weeks before an official winner is declared.
"We still have absentee ballots that are arriving here at the Board of Elections and can continue to arrive for the next 13 days. In addition to that, if the machine jammed, or if a person appeared at a polling place and their name did not appear in the poll register, they were offered an affidavit or a provisional ballot, which they could vote," stated Mohr in an interview with WBEN.
Mohr explains that despite the fact that there's still absentee ballots and affidavits that need to be counted, the results probably wont change.
"What we generally find is that the affidavit mail in ballots, those emergency ballots cast generally mirror the same proportion of the votes that are reported on election night. As a result, it's very difficult at times to go and make up several hundred vote differences," stated Mohr.
The Erie County Board of Elections will continue to provide updated numbers on the election, with the first updated expected to arrive sometime Wednesday.
"We want to assure everybody that it's a fully transparent process, and the candidates and their representatives and Anyone from the public is invited to attend and observe the process," stated Mohr.
New York's 142nd Assembly District covers South Buffalo, a portion of Lackawanna and the towns of Orchard Park and West Seneca.