UPSTATE NY ELECTION NO MANDATE ON OBAMA23rd District Race (NY)

Absentee voters in the upcoming 23rd district election in NY, will have to complete two ballots. And mail them back separately. The second ballot is for the special election to fill Army Secretary John M. McHugh's seat in the House of Representatives.

Conscientious voters may not even know about the need for the second ballot. The large number of absentee voters are college students.

Absentee voters here include 222 members of the military, 670 permanent absentee voters who remain in the area but are unable to make it to the polls and 482 voters who expect to be out of the area on election day, including college students and snowbirds.

St. Lawrence County mailed the second round of 1,688 ballots last week, while Franklin County will send out 666 ballots and Lewis County expects to mail about 440 during the second round of ballots.

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Why college students would be out of the district on election day isn't explained.

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SEIU is funding the Democrat candidate in the district with big money.

1199 Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers East paid $100,000 on Friday for the production of two radio ads - and accompanying airtime -on behalf of Bill Owens, the Democrats' candidate in the 23rd Congressional District.

Check out these election facts.

The short timeframe for the special election means that some military ballots may not be counted, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard. [Ed - Undoubtedly, the military will also receive two ballots, one mailed out considerably later than the other, leading to confusion and a very short turn-around time in which to vote in the Special Election.]

ENDORSEMENTS
Some odd endorsements. Newt Gingrich, Rep. Peter King and te Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local No. 2, Albany, and the National Rifle Association also endorsed Ms. Scozzafava.

Dick Armey is supporting Doug Hoffman.