By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
Official results for some of the close races in this year’s election will not be known until at least Nov. 27, officials said Tuesday.
According to both the state and Middlesex County Clerk’s Office, the deadline to count provisional and mail-in ballots was extended from Monday until Nov. 27.
The extra time is needed, according to officials, to count the many extra ballots cast by mail and provisionally due to Hurricane Sandy.
Gov. Chris Christie gave voters impacted by the storm extra time to cast their ballots.
Two close local races are still waiting a final resolution.
In the race for the 16th Legislative District, Assemblyman Donna Simon, a Republican, is holding on to a lead of about 1,900 votes over Democratic challenger Marie Corfield.
Ms. Simon is trying to win the final year in the un-expired term of the late Peter Biondi of Hillsborough. Mr. Biondi died just two days after being re-elected to the assembly in 2011.
Republicans appointed Ms. Simon to fill the seat earlier this year.
Ms. Corfield and fellow Democrat, South Brunswick Councilman Joe Camarota, came within a couple thousand votes of winning a seat from Republicans Mr. Biondi and newcomer Jack Ciatarelli in the securely red district.
Regardless of the outcome this year, both seats in the newly formed district will be up for grabs again in November 2013.
The second local race that could be impacted by the final vote tally is for the third seat on the South Brunswick Board of Education.
Incumbent Barry Nathanson is holding onto a 115-vote lead over challenger Azra Baig.
According to the county clerk, there were some 1,000 ballots still to be counted as of election night.
It is not known how many of those were from the township or if it is enough to impact the board race.

