17th District GOP Primary: Absentee, Affidavit Ballots counted for Rockland

One whole week after the 2010 primary vote, absentee and affidavit ballots were counted in Rockland for the 17th Congressional district for the republican ticket.

York Kleinhandler and Anthony Mele are running for the GOP line in this district and have been very close in number of votes after the machine votes came in. Mele was up by a small margin of votes and the absentee and affidavit votes counted yesterday and today will determine the official winner. Election workers spent a few hours feeding the ballots into the scanners as both candidates and their supporters watched on.

"We won't really know until [today]," Mele said.

York agreed saying that it all comes down to these ballots because their race is still too close to call.

Today these ballots will be counted in the Westchester and Bronx regions that also make up the 17th district. The winner and will go up against Democratic incumbent Eliot Engel in November. Engel has held the seat for 22 years. 

Mele is very confidant about winning and is preparing for November elections.

"I already started campaigning. I'll be out with my RV going around (the 17th district). We're going to get down to business," he said. "As long as you're American and a voter, I'm there to represent you. I like to fresh and light and have an honest perspective."

York and his campaigners are also travelers.

"This is a very large district. I travel all over," Kleinhandler said. He added that the places he's been, there is a positive reaction from the voters toward him.

Mele said that after the absentee and affidavit ballots were counted, he was "about 50 votes up in Rockland."