Absentee Votes Deliver Democrats Greater East Hampton Trustee Victory

An unofficial recount of the votes for East Hampton Town trustee, including absentee ballots, has shifted that body's expected majority even more in the Democrats' favor.

Brian Byrnes, a first-term member of the East Hampton Town Trustees who had fallen just short of victory on Election Night, was apparently re-elected after an unofficial count of absentee ballots lifted him from the 10th to 7th-highest vote total for the nine-member body. Consequently, Sean McCaffrey, a trustee who had finished 9th according to Election Night tallying, has apparently lost in his bid for a third term.

While the result is not expected to be certified until Monday, the composition of the trustee board will apparently change significantly from the present 5-4 Republican majority to a 6-3 Democratic majority.

The unofficial totals, including absentee ballots, indicate that candidates receiving the top five vote totals are all Democrats. They are Francis Bock (3,612), Pat Mansir (3,125), Bill Taylor (3,064), Tyler Armstrong (2,980), and Rick Drew (2,980).

Timothy Bock, a 10-year trustee, was re-elected with 2,916 votes. Mr. Byrnes received 2,829 votes, followed by James Grimes, who was elected with 2,811 votes. Diane McNally, the longest serving trustee and the body's clerk, or presiding officer, was re-elected with 2,795 votes.

Mr. Bock is a former trustee, and Ms. Mansir is a former member of the town board. Mr. Taylor, a waterways management supervisor for the town and a harbormaster before that, was re-elected to a second term, while Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Drew are newcomers to government.

Mr. McCaffrey received 2,782 votes. Zachary Cohen, whose 2011 bid for town supervisor fell short by just 15 votes, received 2,708 votes and was also not elected.

"We're really excited," Jeanne Frankl, chairwoman of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee, said on Friday. "We think we had an excellent campaign built on our team collaborating with each other and finding a collaborative agenda. We think that bodes well for the future."

The trustees will work together, Ms. Frankl said. "They've committed to be more efficient, more willing to cooperate with other agencies trying to preserve the environment, and more respectful of the public. What could be wrong with that?"

Tom Knobel, chairman of the East Hampton Republican Committee who unsuccessfully sought election as town supervisor, called Mr. McCaffrey "an excellent fellow and trustee" who is very well regarded. "It's regrettable that, by the slimmest of margins, he did not get in," Mr. Knobel said on Friday.

"It's a fact of life," Mr. Knobel said, "that there are more Democratic voters -- and absentee ballots -- than Republicans in the Town of East Hampton."