Governor –elect Andrew Cuomo, concerned that he might take office in January with no one in charge of the State Senate, had written to chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, to ask for an expedited legal process for  three undecided State Senate races.

Now, Judge Lippman has issued an order that all disputes be decided before the end of the year. All challenges must be completed by Supreme Court justices by December 6th.  Parties on the losing end would have the right to an appeal, to be heard between December 8th and December 15th.  If there are further appeals to the state’s highest court, those cases would be heard on December 20th, and decided before January 1st.

Republicans are currently ahead in two of the disputed Senate races, Democrats lead in the other.