November 2, 2020
Statement From State Senate Candidate Leslie Danks Burke:
Today, Leslie Danks Burke, candidate for State Senate in the 58th district, is reminding voters that voters and candidates are likely to have to wait weeks for the final outcomes of local races given the immense number of absentee ballots.
Absentee ballots will not begin to be counted until at least November 9th, and in some cases not until the following week. With 33,339 absentee ballots mailed out to voters across this district alone, and 23,594 returned so far, voters choosing to vote by mail will determine the outcome of multiple elections. Mail-in ballots that arrive up to a week after election day are valid, so the current return number will increase.
Danks Burke urged patience and support for already overwhelmed Boards of Election to make sure every voter’s voice is heard whether they voted early, in-person on Election Day, or by mail.
“For our military heroes serving overseas, our seniors, and anyone else who is choosing to vote by mail, we must make sure every vote is counted,” said Danks Burke. “We know voting patterns differ based on age, party, and other factors. Our job as citizens in our democratic republic is to give every county Board of Election the opportunity to count every single vote, especially in the record-breaking turnout we are already seeing in this once-in-a-lifetime election. Every voter deserves the chance to make their voice heard.”
Danks Burke is scheduled to make comments to supporters and the press at 10:00 on Election Night to address results up to that point, but she cautioned that voters should not expect clear answers for at least a week.
“We all want to know the results as soon as possible, but the most important thing is getting it right,” Danks Burke said.
Danks Burke has received an outpouring of support from community organizations, labor unions, and political leaders, including endorsements from the New York State AFL-CIO; NYSUT; the Working Families Party; U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer; EMILY’s List; Planned Parenthood Empire State Votes PAC; Eleanor’s Legacy; NOW NY; a bipartisan group of seven city, town, and village leaders; the New York State Public Employees Federation; New York Progressive Action Network; Equality NY PAC; the Tompkins-Cortland and Southern Tier Building and Construction Trades Councils; NYS Council of Sheet Metal Workers; the New York State Laborers Union; UAW Local 2300; IBEW Local 241; National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund PAC; #VOTEPROCHOICE; New York State Young Democrats; and more.
Leslie Danks Burke is an attorney and a longtime advocate for education, healthcare, and rural economic development. She is the daughter of farmers and a mother who, together with her husband, is raising two children in this community. A Democrat, she previously ran for State Senate in the 58th in 2016, outraising incumbent Tom O’Mara by over $200,000 and receiving more voter support from outside her party than any other challenger to a sitting incumbent that year — on either side. Since 2016, Danks Burke has remained a powerful advocate for local community engagement and honest government.
