New York Race Too Close To Call. Murphy with "Tiny Lead"

[louis c]

99% of the vote counted. Murphy by 81 votes.

Link:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D979CVM80&show_article=1

[tekisui]

1. Anyone familiar with NY laws on automatic recounts?

And, recounts in general?

[MarjorieG]

6. We'll have an automatic recanvassing of levers, still the most accurate.

All paper is counted election night.

When we reluctantly change to scanners next year, we'll only have a 3% spot check as audit. Tragic, really.

Great old laws were in response to paper fraud, so observable for best results same night.

[frazzled]

19. automatic recanvassing of machines is not a recount

I don't understand why you people cling to those mechanical behemoths (which certainly can be rigged at at the precinct level). But hey, it's not my state anymore. Knock yourselves out.

[MarjorieG]

29. Because they're transparent, observable, and not same recount need when first count concealed.

We'll soon join you with the endless spiral of service contracts, replacement, and thousands over budget if we change the law and actually do audit. As is, we're left with a 3% spot check within 14 days, after TV decided a winner, and a concealed machine count.

We are fighting for the vote, not for the opportunity and best way to use computers. We can't afford and don't have the will to do recounts well. Old law forbade recounts because of the custody and fraud issues of paper after election night.

I fought for five years for scanners, because the real threat of DREs worse and vendors held sway. Now we're under a bogus court order and will replace for the same lack of will.

HAVA never said to get rid of levers.


(sp)

[amerikat]

7. We still use the old lever style machines in the 20th

It's easy to recount those vote totals. Tedisco has a court order to
impound all paper ballots. more at the link.

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/mar/31/0331_Vote/

[Renew Deal]

11. They'll recount all of the machines

It's possible that numbers were written incorrectly on the reports, but other than that, there's not usually votes to be found. A common mistake is to report the wrong numbers, because it's a large grid and mistakes are possible. But in this case there's probably not more than 2-4 lines to report, so I doubt there's any big mistakes.

[Rhiannon12866]

28. I've heard that Tedisco is contesting the results.

And that his folks were responsible for the decision to keep the Libertarian candidate, Eric Sundwall, off the ballot. He then endorsed Murphy. :-)

Tedisco sure knows how to win friends and influence people... :eyes:

[Mz Pip]

2. Here we go again...

Will the GOP tie this one up in court for years? :eyes:

[rurallib]

3. Amazing Tedisco could blow such a huge lead.

[tishaLA]

4. Paging Norm Colman! Will Norm Colman please report

to the twentieth congressional district in NY?

[dflprincess]

9. It will be like going home for him

:evilgrin:

[Rhiannon12866]

16. I asked one of the pros working for Murphy,

if he intended to go to Minnesota after this was over... ;)

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Jesus Christ, I can't take it...

I have called dozens of people, some who have insulted me, stuffed envelopes until I was cross-eyed for the canvassers, then pounded the pavements myself, to get out the vote, for three days in a row... Everybody has worked so damn hard, some around the clock, then if he doesn't win, I won't be able to take it... *fingers crossed* x(

I could have gone to the "victory party," but didn't want to drive 30 miles in the dark by myself. :-(

[Muttocracy]

22. thanks for all you've done! nt

[Rhiannon12866]

26. It was my pleasure.

We have a terrific candidate who I could believe in, and I had a whole lot of great company. He even got a lot of support from local Republicans, who also supported Kirsten Gillibrand.:D

Jim Tedisco doesn't even live in the district. :crazy: My friend pointed out today that Tedisco can't even vote for himself... :spray:

[louis c]

8. 100% of the vote counted, Murphy by 85

Murphy picked up 4 votes in last Saratoga Pct.

Absentee ballots next. anyone know who has that advantage?

[dflprincess]

10. In Minnesota it's usually the DFL that has the edge

because there's a lot of elderly and disabled who vote absentee. On the other hand, I don't suppose you really want to hear about Minnesota tonight - all things considerd.

[Renew Deal]

12. Absentees may not be next.

They are typically sent to the polling place for counting.

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Of the people I spoke to here in the Glens Falls region,

Those who voted absentee were Republicans who voted for Scott... ;)

[Cha]

14. Really! I read on one thread

on GDP that tedisco was already partying from being the winner..so this is HOPE right here!

[Rhiannon12866]

15. I've got the TV news on and they said that Scott was much more boisterous and that Tedisco cried...

I must have missed the crying.... :shrug:

It looks to me as if Scott Murphy has it. The people I spoke to sent in their absentee ballots a couple of weeks ago. (They were real sick of being bothered by us... x() So they were probably included in the count. They had to be postmarked by yesterday, but it's not like it's that far, so most of them have to be in.. :D

BTW, a lot of people on my lists were Republicans, and I spoke to a lot of the people from the southern counties, but we have what they call "Gillibrand Republicans." She won by a huge margin in the district, about 10 points ahead of Obama, and he did extremely well. They love her around here and it's a very red district. :-)

[Cha]

20. Thank you, Rhiannon~

I just read on buzzflash that Gillibrand did a lot of robo calls for Scott Murphy:)

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/election08/458

[Rhiannon12866]

25. You're welcome and yes, she did. Appeared with him, too...

When she first ran in 2006, against an entrenched Republican incumbent, President Clinton came to this little burg to campaign for her, so she knows how important this is... They stand pretty much the same on the issues, so she's really been behind him. :D

President Clinton and VP Biden also did robocalls for him, and he was endorsed by Gen. Clark and the president, himself! :woohoo:

As for Tedisco, the robocalls that I'm aware of were made by Pat Boone and Rudy Giuliani.. :rofl:

And Tedisco also made his own robocalls, one of which I was told was particularly offensive. One of my colleagues has a friend who wasn't going to bother to vote. But she received a robocall message from Tedisco about his views on the abortion issue that upset her so much that she went out and voted, said she didn't want her daughters hearing it. x(

And thank you for the link! It's pretty exciting that we're getting national attention! ;) :hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

17. Governor Paterson is there, congratulating Murphy... n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

18. Governor Paterson just called him "our new congressman..." :-) n/t

[Cha]

21. Again, Really!

I was so bummed when I thought tedisco won and now I'm up again:bounce:

[Rhiannon12866]

24. Well, Murphy definitely has more of the votes!

And they say 100% are reporting. :woohoo:

[Muttocracy]

23. updates on Albany Times Union page - Murphy by 59 by their count

http://timesunion.com/

[Rhiannon12866]

27. Thanks! Local Channel 9 said the same thing.

I've left that on because they had the numbers at the bottom of the screen. :shrug:

I guess it's a damn good thing that all Scott Murphy's 57 relatives turned out today... :evilgrin:

[bullwinkle428]

30. Funny how so many here were throwing in the towel last night!

:rofl:

[Rhiannon12866]

36. Not those of us here in NY-20th...

We're following the numbers and though they are constantly a-changin', Murphy still remains marginally ahead. *fingers crossed* :-)

And then there was the appearance by Governor Paterson last night, who congratulated Scott and declared him to be "our new congressman..." The guys on Murphy's staff said that Paterson's appearance was "unexpected..." :evilgrin:

[Arugula Latte]

31. Yay! No "referendum on Obama" spin out of the jabbering Repuke morAns.

[Cha]

32. Hey Arugula!

I was so bummed last night 'cause I read a post somewhere here that tedisco was celebrating and basically it was over. And, then the situation came back to life:bounce:

I guess they still have to count the absentee ballots, though, to declare a winner?

:hi:

[Arugula Latte]

33. Hey there!

I guess so ... Looks like another tortuous, drawn-out election aftermath. Oy.

:hi:

[WI_DEM]

34. This is still wide open, correct because of thousands of absentee ballots or is it?

[Rhiannon12866]

35. It's "still too close to call," but the numbers continue to favor Murphy...

Last night they said Scott was ahead by 59 votes; this morning it was by 65. Yikes! And this afternoon when I stopped by Murphy HQ, one of the guys said his lead was now at 25... Yikes! x(

It is true that there are absentee ballots yet to count, those from overseas and from the military. They had to be postmarked by the 30th, so there's nothing yet to be done. :-(

The latest I heard was that there were a little over 10,000 who voted absentee, a huge number in such a close race, but more than half, 6000+, are already in and so have already been counted... I did speak to voters who voted absentee, senior citizens, and they mailed them over two weeks ago. They were also registered as Republicans, but voted for Scott, so we still have high hopes... :D

[Rhiannon12866]

37. Albany Times Union link on the absentee ballots...

It's up to absentees

<snip>
In the 20th, neither Tedisco nor Murphy can claim victory. The Republican State Committee has asked for the absentee ballots to be impounded until a judge can rule on how the ballots will be opened. State Supreme Court Justice James Brands of Dutchess County will consider the issue Monday and will decide when and how the Boards of Elections in the 10 counties that comprise the district may open absentee ballots.

Machine recanvassing began Wednesday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 6,381 absentee ballots have been returned out of more than 10,000 sent, the state Board of Electionsaid. Of those, 170 are military and 875 are overseas ballots.

Absentee ballots must have been postmarked by March 30 and be received by Tuesday for regular absentee ballots, or April 13 for military and overseas ballots.

Tedisco pointed to Saratoga County, part of his Assembly district. According to unofficial results, Tedisco won Saratoga, 54 percent to 46 percent. The county Board of Elections also sent 2,581 absentee ballots, the highest number sent by any board in the district. Tedisco said he's also counting on the military vote, which typically leans Republican. Democrats say the geographic distribution of the ballots will keep Murphy ahead.
<snip>

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=786252