Just 1 vote separates apparent winner and loser in town supervisor election in New York City suburb
NORTH CASTLE, N.Y. - A week after Election Day, we still don't know who will run a prosperous town in Westchester County.
The two candidates for supervisor are separated by just one vote.
That thin margin is leading to a recount, and a court fight.
The Westchester town of North Castle is split between more affordable north White Plains and very upscale Armonk. It also appears to be split politically.
After voting concluded Nov. 7, Democrat Joe Rende leads Republican Barbara DiGiacinto by just one vote: 1569 to 1568.
"Voting is extremely important. And if we don't vote, we're not gonna get the government that we need," voter Barbara Schrager said.
"I'm speechless. One. One. I'm thinking about that person that did not come out to vote," voter Robin Gilliam said.
It really is a lesson in the power of a single vote, but it's not clear that will be the final margin.
Tuesday, in court, lawyers battled over the validity of a handful of still-uncounted absentee ballots. Rende believes several should be tossed out, including an absentee ballot filed by a relative of the current supervisor Michael Schiliro.
"This, at this point, is not about me. I think the residents of North Castle deserve to have an honest election," Rende said.
"There's 20 absentee ballots. There's five that are in question, and it's such a close election, those five could be critical," Rende's attorney Mitchell Baker said.
A few years ago, a North Castle town council seat was decided by 18 votes, and wasn't settled until early December.
The Board of Elections is waiting for the OK from a judge to count absentees and recanvass the machine vote.
North Castle should have a supervisor-elect by Christmas.
