By CRAIG FREILICH

More than 2,000 absentee ballots to be counted next week in the 116th Assembly District will confirm or overturn Tuesday's poll count where incumbent Democrat Addie Russell trails Republican challenger John Byrne by 117 votes.

The district includes the St. Lawrence County townships of Massena, Canton, Potsdam, Rossie, Macomb, DePeyster, Louisville, Waddington, Lisbon, Oswegatchie, Morristown, and Hammond and the City of Ogdensburg, plus northern Jefferson County not including Watertown.

Byrne, of Cape Vincent, representing the Republican and Conservative parties, received 6,341 votes in St. Lawrence County and 7,239 in Jefferson County, for a total of 13, 580.

Russell, of Theresa and representing Democrats and members of the Working Families Party, received 6,968 votes in St. Lawrence County and 6,495 in Jefferson County, for a total of 13,463, giving her a deficit of 117 votes after all precincts reported their totals.

Russell won a majority of votes in St. Lawrence County; Byrne did in Jefferson County.

St. Lawrence County Board of Elections said they sent out 1,290 absentee ballots to voters in the 116th District and have received 937 of those back so far. Jefferson County officials said they sent out 1,489 absentee ballots to voters in the 116th, and 1,179 have been returned so far.

With more than 2,000 absentee ballots to be added to the totals so far, they could be decisive in the race between Russell, who is seeking her fourth term, and Byrne, running for the Assembly for the first time.

More absentee ballots are expected back before they are counted next week and added to the totals. They will have to be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by next Tuesday to be counted.

Meanwhile elections officials will be performing the routine work of canvassing vote totals reported to them Tuesday night.