Ariél Zangla is reporting for the Daily Freeman the hand recount of ballots cast in the Ulster County district attorney race could be finished sometime next week, the county's Democratic elections commissioner said. Ashley Dittus said the group recounting ballots in the race between Democrat David Clegg and Republican Michael J. Kavanagh was finishing early December 31, with the voting system ballots cast in the town of Rosendale. The team will then move on to recount the remaining towns, in order — Shandaken, Shawangunk, Ulster, Wawarsing and Woodstock. Saugerties ballots were recounted earlier in the process because of a close race in that community. After the voting system ballots recount is completed, all absentee, affidavit and unscanned ballots must be recounted, as well. Dittus said the count would be suspended January 1, for the New Year's Day holiday, but resume the following day. Before the recount began, Clegg was leading Kavanagh by 79 votes out of the 53,623 cast. Because the hand recount will last beyond January 1, when the new district attorney is to take office, Kavanagh the current chief assistant DA, will become acting district attorney. If Clegg ultimately wins the race, he will displace Kavanagh. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.