By Max Oppen
TANNERSVILLE – Over 50% of Village residents came out in force for yesterday's election, with voter participation slightly surpassing January's dissolution vote. The election remains undecided as officials await counting all absentee ballots by the Greene County Board of Elections. The final tally is expected by March 25, provided ballots are postmarked no later than March 18 and received no later than March 25.
The highly contested race featured four candidates vying for two trustee seats, while current Deputy Mayor David Kashman faced Dr. Lee McGunnigle in the mayoral race. The results remain too close to call, with absentee ballots still in play.
Two hundred thirty votes were cast in the trustee race, with 52 undervotes and one write-in vote. The Greene County Board of Elections has already counted some absentee ballots, as shown in the unofficial results on its website. An undervote occurs when a voter does not complete their entire ballot, but their vote typically still counts.
According to the Board of Elections, 145 absentee ballots were issued, with 114 received so far. Of those, 61 have already been counted, while five ballots are under review due to potential defects. These ballots require a "cure"—a process in which voters are notified of issues such as mismatched signatures or missing information. If a voter resolves the issue within the allotted time, their ballot will be counted; otherwise, it will be invalidated.
Currently, 48 absentee ballots remain uncounted, while 31 ballots have not yet been received but could still be counted if they arrive by March 25 with a postmark by March 18.
The latest unofficial results for the trustee race are as follows:
Rebecca Fitting (Independent - The Village Party) – 133 votes (32.76%)
Kody Leach (Cross-endorsed by Republicans and Democrats) – 115 votes (28.33%)
Gil Adler (Democrat) – 88 votes (21.67%)
Stephen Tuomey (Republican) – 69 votes (17%)
The race remains wide open, with dozens of absentee ballots yet to be counted.
In the mayoral race, 230 votes have been cast. Dr. Lee McGunnigle, running on the Independent "Friends of Tannersville" party line, has secured 118 votes (51.30%), while Deputy Mayor David Kashman, cross-endorsed by both the Republican and Democratic caucuses, has received 111 votes (48.26%). The margin is razor-thin, with McGunnigle leading by just seven votes.
Dr. McGunnigle expressed his enthusiasm about the election results, stating, "I'm completely energized with the possibility of serving my neighbors again in Tannersville. I sincerely hope it goes my way next week. Voter turnout was very impressive." Kashman echoed similar sentiments, thanking voters for their participation. "I thank everyone for all the support."
Due to the close nature of past elections, including the 2023 race in which current and outgoing Mayor David Schneider defeated McGunnigle by a single vote, Village officials have hired a poll watcher to oversee the process ever since 2023. The poll watcher's role is strictly observational, with no communication permitted between voters and the poll watcher, not even for sharing contact information.
As Tannersville awaits the final count, one thing is certain: every vote matters in this closely contested election.
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