Patricia R. Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman with fewer than 1,000 votes separating the two lowest vote-getters, the boards of elections in the seven counties that make up the state Supreme Court Third Judicial District are preparing for a hand count of the more than 1 million ballots cast in the race to determine who will claim the third seat on the bench. In the November 8 general election, voters in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties, were asked to choose from four candidates to fill three seats on the court. According to data reported by the state Board of Elections, the two top vote-getters were Democrats Meagan K. Galligan with 167,627 votes and Sharon A. Graff, with 165,824 votes. Meanwhile, Republican Thomas Marcelle received 164,776 votes, while Democrat Heidi Thais Cochrane got 163,777 votes, a difference of only 999 votes. Under state elections law, a hand count of all ballots cast in a race is triggered when 1 million or more ballots are cast in a race and the margin of victory is less than 5,000 votes. Ulster County Republican Elections Commissioner John Quigley said the Ulster County Board of Elections will likely schedule the hand count next week, once the board has certified the results of the other races. Read more in the Daily Freeman.