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The Enterprise — Michael Koff

Randy Bashwinger, left, a Republican who widened his lead from 17 to 26 votes in the election for Berne highway superintendent, sits with Thomas Spargo as the absentee ballots are counted in a close race against Democrat Ed Hampton, the acting superintendent. Bashwinger said Spargo was there on his request, volunteering as someone knowledgeable in Election Law. Out of Berne’s three voting districts, its smallest, in the northeastern part of the town, had the largest margin of absentee ballots for Bashwinger. Hampton netted one additional vote from its second most populous district and lost by three in its most populous district in the western half of the town.