Absentee ballot counting is officially underway for the Bronx and Brooklyn, but it’s going to be a while before winners can be declared. 

The city Board of Elections started counting or canvassing through hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots Wednesday-- a task that, even though they expected, they say is quite the mountain to climb.

Bronx Board of Elections Commissioner Miguelina Camilo says the process is much more involved than at a polling site, where ballots are quickly scanned and recorded. 

 "It's a sitdown of going through each ballot, figuring out if it's going to be valid or invalid. Having watchers from each campaign have the chance to object if they don't agree with the ruling,” said Camilo. 

After all that, the actual vote counting begins. Additional precautions are also being taken to keep everyone safe during the coronavirus pandemic that required so many to vote by mail.   

"Our concern at the Board of Elections is making sure that everyone who wanted to vote got that chance... we did everything we could,” said Camilo. 

However, there are some who disagree. Protesters were seen outside the Board of Elections office in Grand Concourse rallying to make sure their vote is counted. 

"We're not in the business of hiding results. If you won your election, that's what we want to report,” said Camilo.