Robert Gavin is reporting for the Times Union the anticipated prolonged absentee ballot count in the Democratic primary for Albany County district attorney may not take so long after all. The campaigns of DA David Soares and challenger Matthew Toporowski have now agreed to let high-speed ballot-counting machines record the nearly 20,000 ballots remaining. The process of counting the ballots should now be complete no later than early next week, officials said. By the end of the day July 1, Soares led Toporowski 9,211 to 8,020 votes. Soares, 50, of Glenmont, is a four-term incumbent seeking a fifth four-year term. Toporowski, 34, of Albany, is an attorney in private practice and one-time prosecutor for Soares. The count is being overseen by Democratic county elections commissioner Matthew Clyne and Republican county elections commissioner Rachel Bledi. Read the full story in the Times Union.