Absentee ballots could make the difference in the Owasco race for town supervisor.

Updated unofficial election results from the Town of Owasco put John Klink ahead of his challenger, Ed Wagner, by 26 votes. Klink received 705 and Wagner, 679, by Wednesday evening. But that's not the end of the story.

Absentee ballots remain to be counted on Tuesday, Nov. 10. While 120 absentee ballots were mailed, 95 have been returned so far. That makes the race too close to call. Once those ballots are tabulated, the totals will change.

Both Klink and Wagner will have to wait until then in what could turn out to be a nailbiter as returns are finalized.

Changes in election procedures, not only the use of new machines but changes in polling places, have led some to comment.

Klink believed the distance from the parking lots to Emerson Park pavilion, where the polling place had moved from the Owasco Fire House, was quite far for some people to walk.

Besides the unresolved Owasco race, election commissioner Katie Lacey said the Cayuga County Board of Elections expects to have figures for Fleming and County Legislator District 5 by noon Thursday. Counting will resume at 10 a.m.

Trucks were still bringing voting machines and ballots back to the board offices late on Wednesday.

Owasco results were updated Wednesday afternoon as the Board of Elections counted 193 emergency ballots - those rejected by the voting machine scanner on Election Day. Lacey said that emergency votes added to the 1,068 votes counted by machine totalled 1,261 votes cast, the number that would have been counted if the machines had worked.

Figures for other Owasco candidates were also revised. Clerk Robert Shaw received 1,048, uncontested; Mary T. Jones earned 908 for town justice, uncontested. For town council, Anthony Gucciardi led with 707; Terrance Lattimore, had 699, for the most votes for the two open seats; incumbent Arthur Richardson lost with 577, as did Amy Fuller, 666.

Michael Wilson retains his seat as Owasco highway superintendent with 731 compared to challenger Robert Bruno with 585.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net