(WKTV) - Roughly 6,400 votes separate democratic incumbent Congressman Michael Arcuri, and his Republican challenger Richard Hanna.
    
It is expected that some 17,000 absentee ballots will be counted next week.
    
In the mean time, Arcuri was back at work Thursday.  Despite the fact that Arcuri hasn't fully locked up this election, he still has to represent the district.  In fact he may even have one more special session in Congress later this month.
     
Arcuri says the election results are not distracting him from his job.

Arcuri also says he is cautiously optimistic that he will still be the congressman when all the absentee ballots are counted.  He says all he can do is take this situation one day at a time.   "I think the most important thing is I was just down in Norwich at a NYRI hearing down there, and you now you just continue to do your job and try to work your way through it And hope when it is all said and done you come out on top" Arcuri said. "

We did make calls to Arcuri's challenger, Richard Hanna, however, we did not receive a response this evening.
    
The absentee ballots will not be counted until next Wednesday.   It is expected that nearly 17,000 will have to be counted once they are all in across the 11 counties comprising the 24th District.