Incumbent Republican Tim Howard is one step closer to his fourth term as Erie County sheriff.

The Erie County Board of Elections finished tallying absentee ballots Wednesday.

The results show him leading Democratic Challenger Bernie Tolbert by nearly 3700 votes.

Tolbert's campaign staff say he's still not conceding the race.

They're hoping to see some better results when elections officials finish tallying emergency and affidavit votes.

Those numbers are expected in the first week of December.