While many have remarked on the tragic irony of the death of Barack Obama’s grandmother two days before she could have seen him elected to the most powerful job in the world, the late Madelyn Dunham has imparted a final gift to her beloved grandson: her vote. 

Election officials in Hawaii, where Dunham, 86, had lived, confirmed that her absentee ballot will be counted, the Associated Press reports. 

Explaining his state’s law, Kevin Cronin, chief elections officer for Hawaii, said Tuesday that absentee ballots cast by someone who dies before an election are discarded only if a state death notice arrives before Election Day. 

Dunham’s ballot was received Oct. 27, said Cronin, adding that her death notice had yet to appear. 

“Because she was alive on the 27th and [her ballot] had the same processing as other absentee ballots, it will be counted,” he said. 

Talking about his grandmother on Election eve, Obama said, “She has gone home. … I’m not going to talk about it too often because it’s hard to talk about.”  (Source)