Absentees put Sullivan ahead of Day in Conservative Party primary

[UPDATE- Day said he will not challenge the results in court. He referred the

Tom Sullivan has pulled ahead of Ed Day in the primary race for county executive following the count of 168 absentee ballots.

Officials told the Rockland County Times that the tally currently is 647-615. County Executive Day led 574-520 after the initial count on Election Day, September 12.

The Day campaign is legally challenging the viability of some of the absentee ballots, promising to make an announcement Wednesday morning. His opponent Tom Sullivan’s campaign put out a press release claiming the lead “is greater than the number of ballots Ed Day is trying to challenge,” however, the basis of this claim is unclear.

Earlier this month, Day asked for an investigation into whether hundreds of new registrants in the Conservative Party really live in Rockland. Over 500 new voters registered in the party this year, the vast majority listing addresses in the Town of Ramapo, many having previously been registered to vote in Brooklyn or Sullivan County.

The vast majority of 168 absentee ballots filed were by voters in the Town of Ramapo, many of them amongst the new batch of registrants.

In other news, Democratic candidate Michael Sullivan is ahead of GOP incumbent George Hoehmann in the Working Families primary following the count of write-in and absentee ballots. Any possible legal challenges have not been announced.