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Friday, November 13, 2020
Vol. 95, No. 46
WINTHROP RENAMED CORONAVIRUS CASES SPIKE NYU LANGONE PAGE 20
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JANUARY REGENTS CANCELED PAGE 8
Local races may be decided by absentee ballots Delayed results to come from more than 140,000 cast in Nassau County BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Nassau County candidates remained in election purgatory this week as they awaited the results of the counting of mail-in ballots. More than 140,000 absentee ballots, a record, were received in Nassau County for the general elections, according to state figures. Though it didn’t take long for major news outlets to confirm that former Vice President Joe Biden had won New York, local races throughout Long Island still lay in the balance because of the number of ballots cast by mail. Counting of those ballots was expected to get underway this week. Officials from the Nassau County Board of Elections did not say when the counting would conclude but did say results would be finalized by Nov. 28. Nassau Democratic Elections Commissioner James Scheuerman
said 142,962 absentee ballots were cast in Nassau County this year during the COVID-19 pandemic, a figure that shatters the previous record of 48,000 in 2016. Counties throughout the state were permitted to begin canvassing, the process of ensuring all absentee ballots are accounted for, on Nov. 6, according to state officials. The Nov. 6 date was the last possible day for the state Board of Elections to conduct a comprehensive overview and ensure that no one’s vote counted more than once. Nassau officials such as County Executive Laura Curran have been vocal over the past month in promoting early voting and absentee ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to early election figures, 1.4 million Long Islanders voted this year, compared with 1.33 million in 2016. More than 350,000 Nassau Continued on Page 30
PHOTO BY ROSE WELDON
Joseph Israel of Great Neck was among the supporters of President Donald Trump who gathered outside of the Woodbury-based studios of News 12 Long Island to protest over the weekend. See story on page 3.
Biden, Harris celebrated by state, local Democrats BY R OB E RT PELAEZ
my good friend President-elect Joe Biden and to Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris. Today we “This is a historic day,” Gov. go forward in hope and progAndrew Cuomo said. “After the ress.” Cuomo was among Demodarkness, division and hate of the past four years, America cratic officials in Nassau County has spoken and rejected more and New York reacting with joy of the same. Congratulations to to Biden’s defeat of Republican
President Donald Trump, which became clear over the weekend. Jay Jacobs, chairman of the state and county Democratic committees, said the “hard work” now begins to combat divisiveness that has been prominent in this year’s election campaign. Continued on Page 40
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