The counting of absentee ballots in Wayne County was completed last night, and, as expected, Democratic Rep. Dan Maffei did not perform well enough in the GOP-dominated districts to make up the difference between himself and his Republican challenger, Ann Marie Buerkle.

The results from yesterday’s counting have not yet been tabulated and released, but a GOP operative who had been on hand in Central NY said Buerkle extended her lead to 565 votes.

The two parties are due in court Tuesday before state Supreme Court Justice Brian DeJoseph in Syracuse to resolve any remaining challenges from all four counties in NY-25.

But it’s possible the Democrats, who already began withdrawing their vote-counting operatives after ballots were counted in Onondaga County, where Maffei failed to perform as strongly as he expected – and needed – to on Election Day, might opt to withdraw their court action and concede.

Both Buerkle and Maffei were in Washington, D.C. last week – she for freshman orientation, and he for the lame duck session (a waiver enabled both Maffei and Rep. Tim Bishop, whose race also has not yet been called, to participate in the vote that will keep outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in charge of the Democratic conference).

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