This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On Monday, a manual recount of votes in the Queens District Attorney race is set to kick off, with elections officials preparing to count every ballot cast in the district.
The recount will involve 18 tables, one for each Assembly district in Queens, where two staffers from different parties will tally each ballot, including absentee, affidavit, and regular ballots.
Unlike the city's ballot machines, which only count ballots with perfectly filled-in bubbles, a manual recount can include ballots with improperly filled-out marks, such as a check mark or circle around a candidate's name.
According to Mr. Goldfeder, the recount process could take anywhere from two to five days, depending on the number of disputes that arise.
Disputes are likely, given the close margin between the two candidates, Ms. Cabán and Ms. Katz.
Ms. Cabán's apparent win last week was seen as a major triumph for the far left wing of the Democratic Party, but a Katz victory would suggest that more traditional political paths still retain much of their power.
Professor Gyory noted that a Katz win would highlight the need for progressive candidates to make inroads with older, religious, and minority voters.
However, he added that this would not negate the forces that put Ms. Cabán within a hair's breadth of victory.
As Mr. Gyory said, 'Whichever way it ends up, it's tough to make this a case to show that the left is ascendant. It's also tough to say that there's not a strong progressive pulse.'
