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Democratic primary absentee ballot count starts Thursday

TIMES REVIEW FILE PHOTOS Democratic rivals Anna Throne-Holst and David Calone are seperated by 29 votes before the counting of absentee ballots.
TIMES REVIEW FILE PHOTOS Democratic rivals Anna Throne-Holst and David Calone are seperated by 29 votes before the counting of absentee ballots.

Thursday, July 7, the Suffolk County Board of Elections is expected to count more than 1,790 absentee ballots cast in the Democratic primary race between Congressional hopefuls Anna Throne-Holst and Dave Calone.

Unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections showed Ms. Throne-Holst held a lead of 29 votes. Just under eight percent of the 1st District’s 136,464 registered Democrats voted on primary night.

County officials said it could take several days to count all 1,794 absentee ballots. Here’s a breakdown of each town’s absentee ballot totals, according to the Suffolk County Board of Elections:

Brookhaven Town: 947
Southampton Town: 229
East Hampton Town: 207
Southold Town: 112
Riverhead Town: 111
Smithtown Town: 111
Shelter Island Town: 60
Islip Town: 17

On primary night, Mr. Calone of East Setauket won Brookhaven Town, which is the largest town in Suffolk County, by 55 percent and East Hampton Town by 57 percent.

Before the vote, Mr. Calone was endorsed by the Brookhaven and East Hampton Town Democratic committees and committee chairpersons. He also had the backing of all four Democrats on the East Hampton Town Board and of the only Democrat on the Brookhaven Town Board, plus the support of two former Democratic Brookhaven Town council members.

Locally, Ms. Throne-Holst was ahead in Southampton, where she was town supervisor for six years, with 56 percent of the vote; in Riverhead with 63 percent; in Southold with 60 percent; and in Shelter Island with 85 percent.

Ms. Throne Holst was also ahead in Smithtown and Islip.

Regardless of who wins the Democratic primary, both candidates will appear on the ballot to face Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) in November.

Mr. Calone has support from the Independence Party and Ms. Throne-Holst is the Women’s Equality Party candidate.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.