Republican Ann Marie Buerkle, who leads Democratic Rep. Dan Maffei by just under 700 votes in NY-25, just sent out a statement condemning an effort in the district to contact absentee and military voters and ask them to confirm who they cast a ballot in last Tuesday’s election.

“It is regrettable that this action is underway prior to those absentee votes being tabulated by county election officials,” Buerkle said.

“While the reasons for this effort are unclear – many agree it could be an attempt by some to identify who each person voted for in an effort to disqualify certain eligible ballots from being counted. I would like the public to know that my campaign is not connected to this current effort.”

“Further, no American – in Upstate New York or anywhere – is in anyway under obligation to provide information to anyone on how he or she voted in any election, including my own.”

(Snip)

“If anyone is contacted in this effort please know that your vote is privileged, and under no circumstances should an individual be pressured in to revealing how their vote was cast. If you are contacted, ask them to provide their full name, for whom they work, why they are seeking this information and if you are required to provide this information.”

Buerkle decried the fact that this voter-contact operation is underway as Veteran’s Day is right around the corner (Thursday) and we’ll be pausing to honor those who are fighting overseas to protect the sanctity of democratic freedoms – like the right to a secret ballot.

I’ve never heard of such a thing before. YNN’s Bill Carey, a veteran political reporter from the Syracuse area who’s covering the race, hasn’t either.

UPDATE1: According to Carey, the Republicans are insisting the Democrats are solely responsible for this, while the Democrats say both parties are doing it.

UPDATE2: Carey just forwarded the following statement from Maffei’s campaign:

“In an election as close as this, it is more important than ever to ensure the integrity of the process. As we continue to gather information, we have discovered some possible inconsistencies in the election night reporting in addition to some absentee voters who may have been deceased.”

“We will turn over any information we discover to the Board of Elections for further review and our efforts are ongoing.”

Carey tells me he’s also waiting on a judge’s order delaying absentee counts in Cayuga and Monroe counties until later in the week.

It could be an awfully long recount.

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