The contest that even captured the attention of the President of the United States appears to have so stimulated public imagination that it won’t end, at least not anytime soon, according to sources in Paterson.

You know the players by now.

Abbreviations could probably supplant the names.

But just in case you missed it, those names are Ward 3 Councilman Bill McKoy and his challenger, Alex Mendez, a former at-larger councilman trying to regain a seat in City Hall.

Earlier today, a recount halted with Mendez ahead of McKoy by anywhere between nine and 16 votes, according to sources in both camps, and an additional 50 ballots remaining to be counted.

McKoy’s allies assert the residential impropriety of at least 11 ballots.

That means the whole contest could head to yet another – third, in fact – clash between McKoy and Mendez, if McKoy takes his case to court and a judge sees it his way.

Remember, Mendez is facing ballot fraud charges filed by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal in connection with the same May nonpartisan election that locked up and prompted a do-over on Nov. 3rd, which now looks to have spawned – possibly – a hellish sequel .

In any event, here’s what we absolutely know:

The same election of several in Paterson that prompted President Donald Trump to point the finger at Paterson as a reason why Americans should reject the vote-by-mail (VBM) process has outlived Trump’s election.