Kaminsky/McGrath absentee ballots won’t be counted until April 26

Democratic Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky may have already declared victory in the state Senate District 9 race, but the total count of votes will not available until after April 26.

The Nassau County Board of Elections has to wait until next Tuesday to begin to count the remaining absentee ballots for the race between Kaminsky and Republican candidate Chris McGrath. That is the last day the Board of Elections accepts post-dated absentee ballots.

McGrath and Kaminsky both sought to fill the seat vacated by former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos when he was convicted on corruption charges last year.

Kaminsky currently holds a narrow margin of 780 votes over McGrath. McGrath has not officially conceded the race and is waiting until after the absentee ballots are counted, although even Nassau County Republican Party Chairman Joe Mondello has admitted it is likely Kaminsky won, given the number of absentee ballots requested by Democrats.

According to the Nassau County Board of Elections, 1,289 registered Republicans requested absentee ballots. As of early Tuesday afternoon, 774 had been returned. For registered Democrats, 1,540 absentee ballots were requested and 941 had been returned.

There were 321 blank ballots requested as well, and 143 of them had been returned.