Campaigning may continue and the race may not end on Primary Election Day September 13th in the race for Allegany County Sheriff. Longtime political observers agree that this race is one to watch and has grown increasingly tense in recent days (and weeks). Incumbent sheriff Ricky Whitney is facing a heated Republican challenge from Walt Mackney, the former commander of the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force and a retired State Police Senior Investigator. But if you thought Primary Day would end the contest, that's not entirely true, depending...
Neither candidate filed an Independent nominating petition. So for Mackney, September 13th could be a do or die situation. If he loses, it's over. However, Whitney has secured the Conservative line; should he lose the republican primary election, his name will still appear on the ballot in November, i.e., the campaigning continues.
To add further intrigue and drama, if the Republican primary is close, absentee ballots could come into play - meaning the results may not be known until after September 19th. According to the Allegany County Board of Elections, as of Friday morning, 211 republican absentee ballots have been issued (that number could grow). For those to count, they must be postmarked by September 12th and received by September 19th. Voters can still obtain an absentee ballot in person at the elections office in Belmont until the close of business September 12th.
In summary, if Mackney loses the republican primary, it's game over. If he wins, both candidates remain viable for the November election. If the race remains active into November, it's anyone's guess, since Democrats and other registered voters will be able to weigh in and cast ballots.