By CRAIG FREILICH

Republican John Byrne of Cape Vincent, who holds a slim lead over 116th Assembly District Democrat incumbent Addie Russell of Theresa after election-night vote counts, says he’s confident when all the ballots are counted next week he will emerge as the winner.

“I feel fairly confident. I’ve done a little homework and I think the absentee ballots lean toward the Republican side,” Byrne said Tuesday.

He said that as of Nov. 5, the day after Election Day, the number of absentee ballots returned to the boards of election in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties seemed to be giving him an edge.

He said that among 116th District voters who had returned absentee ballots, 1,034 came from registered Republicans, 756 came from Democrats, 69 came from independents, Conservatives had returned 21. More ballots have since come in.

After the vote count on Election Day, Byrne had a 117-vote lead, 13,580 to 1,3463.

Jefferson County elections officials will begin Wednesday, Nov. 12 to count the absentee ballots they have received, and St. Lawrence County officials will begin their count next Monday, Nov. 17, the day all absentee ballots must be returned in order to count.

In the meantime Byrne says he is pulling up his campaign signs from along roadsides. He said he thinks people don’t like it when they are left up after an election.