THE COUNTING OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS CONTINUES IN ONONDAGA COUNTY.
THAT WAS UNTIL A COVID-19 EXPOSURE AT THE ONONDAGA COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
THE DELAY IN BALLOT COUNTING IS KEEPING MANY RACES FROM BEING CALLED AND MANY CAMPAIGNS ON EDGE.
{***SOT FULL***}
(CG: xxx)
[TAKE SOT
NAME: Jim Corl
DURATION:0’07”]
(“Everything seems to be going good, you’re going back in the right direction and then the plug gets pulled on us again.”)
FOR MARK VENESKY’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER, JIM CORL, THE SUSPENSION IN THE ALREADY TIGHT RACE CONTINUES.
{***SOT FULL***}
(CG: xxx)
[TAKE SOT
NAME: Jim Corl
DURATION:0’04”]
(“Well it’s very unnerving because it was like a roller coaster.”)
VENESKY, THE FORMER CICERO TOWN SUPERVISOR, IS RUNNING AGAINST DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENT AL STIRPE TO REPRESENT THE 127TH DISTRICT OF THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY.
(Track 2)
Standup:
THE TWO CAMPAIGNS WILL NOW HAVE TO WAIT FOR RESULTS UNTIL AFTER THANKSGIVING DUE TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK AT THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
EIGHT COVID-19 CASES AMONG ELECTIONS STAFF WERE CONFIRMED EARLIER THIS WEEK AFTER THEY CLOSED THEIR DOORS ON FRIDAY.
(Track 3)
VENESKY SAW A COMMANDING LEAD ON ELECTION NIGHT
{***SOT FULL***}
(CG: xxx)
[TAKE SOT
NAME: Jim Corl
DURATION:0’04”]
(“Mark was up by 1,000 ballots, and then we started the count on the absentee.”)
THE PREDOMINANTLY DEMOCRAT ABSENTEE BALLOTS WHICH HAVE FAVORED STIRPE SINCE COUNTING BEGAN ON NOVEMBER NINTH.
VENESKY NOW TRAILS STIRPE BY SEVERAL HUNDRED VOTES.
{***SOT FULL***}
(CG: xxx)
[TAKE SOT
NAME: Jim Corl
DURATION:0’12”]
(“The lion share of them were coming from the democratic side. And we’ve got another about 10,000 more ballots to open, those ballots are from the Clay and Manlius area so we don’t know which way they’re going to fall.”)
IN THE MEANTIME, CORL SAYS IT’S A GAME OF “WAIT AND SEE” UNTIL BALLOT COUNTING RESUMES ON NOVEMBER 30TH.
(Track 4)
“BRENDAN SCANLAND N-C-C News”
Syracuse, N.Y.(NCC News) A recent COVID-19 outbreak at the Onondaga County Board of Elections has halted the counting of mail-in and absentee ballots.
Ballot counting paused after one election staff member was confirmed positive for COVID-19 last Friday, prompting the Board of Elections to close their doors until after Thanksgiving.
Eight additional employees tested positive on Monday of this week.
The delay in ballot counting continues to delay the outcome for several local races, like the race for the 127th State Assembly District.
Former Cicero Town Supervisor, Mark Venesky, is running against Democratic incumbent Al Stirpe.
Venesky, a Republican, saw a commanding lead on election night.
“Mark was up by 1,000 ballots, and then we started the count on the absentee,” says Jim Corl, Venesky’s campaign manager.
After election night, the predominantly democrat mail-in and absentee ballots have narrowed the race.
“Well it’s very unnerving because it was like a roller coaster,” says Corl.
Stirpe now leads by several hundred votes and there are still thousands of ballots to be counted primarily from the Clay and Manlius areas, according to Corl.
The delay at the Board of Elections is only increasing the suspense for Corl and the rest of his team.
“Everything seems to be going good, you’re going back in the right direction and then the plug gets pulled on us again,” Corl adds “the die are already cast, it’s a game of wait and see.”
Corl and the Venesky campaign will have to wait until November 30, when the Board of Elections plans to resume ballot counting.
