TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY (WSKG) - The results of the Tompkins County District Attorney’s race won’t be known until July. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of people voted by mail, and those votes will determine the outcome.
Based on early voting and ballots cast in-person, Ed Kopko is currently in the lead by about 600 votes over the incumbent Matt Van Houten. As of last Wednesday, the Tompkins County Board of Elections office had received about 9,000 absentee ballots, according to commissioner Steve Dewitt.
Ballots had to be postmarked on election day and arrive at the Board of Election by June 30 to be counted.
"We’re in uncharted waters," Dewitt said. "There are new rules where we have to wait until July first to begin counting and they say we have to certify by the sixth, but I think they’re pretty much aware that that’s probably not going to happen. But we’re gonna try to make it."
Dewitt said that since he's been a commissioner they have never had more than 4,000 absentee ballots. He thinks this year the official count might take ten days to complete.