NY-20 Nail-Biter Continues: Dem Murphy Now Ahead By 46 Votes

[babylonsister]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/murphy-ahead-by-49-votes-right-now.php?ref=fpjr2

Murphy Ahead By 46 Votes
By Eric Kleefeld - April 10, 2009, 9:50AM


The latest score in NY-20 shows that Democrat Scott Murphy is currently ahead in this nail-biter of a result -- but if GOPer Jim Tedisco doesn't like it, he could just wait 15 minutes.

The official state results show that Murphy has taken an eight-vote lead as of 4:30 p.m. ET yesterday, as absentee ballots begin to be counted. However, there is some more recent data that shows Murphy's lead is actually somewhat larger at the moment.

Columbia County has provided their latest numbers to TPM, showing Murphy picking up another 15 net votes, on a 99-42 margin, compared to the 55-13 in the state's current tally of absentees from here. In addition, the Albany Times Union reports that Murphy has picked up 26 votes, an 88-62 margin, in Essex County.

So as of right now, Scott Murphy leads by 49 votes -- though there are still plenty of ballots left to count. (Late Update: Murphy's newest lead is 46 votes.)

The Tedisco stronghold of Saratoga County, which has over a quarter of the absentee ballots that have been returned, has not yet reported anything, and neither have the pro-Murphy counties of Warren and Washington, which combined have just slightly less returned absentees than Saratoga, and other counties are in various stages of progress.

One other thing that clouds the picture is that the campaigns have had the ability to challenge absentee envelopes before they are opened, setting them aside pending a later ruling by the judge in the contest. The Times Union reports that Essex County has had 31 challenges, compared to 150 votes counted. And it's even more stark in Columbia: 83 challenges in the county's list -- which a Tedisco volunteer attorney said have come more from the Republicans -- compared to 141 votes counted.

[Kdillard]

1. Fingers and toes crossed for Murphy.

[SoCalDem]

2. Won't there be an automatic recount triggered by the closeness

even after the absentees are counted?

or do you use vapor-vote-o-matics there:)

[babylonsister]

3. I imagine the rethugs will prolong this as long as humanly possible

if they eventually find they have lost. See MN. ;)