Post by admin on Nov 6, 2008 6:45:24 GMT -5
The Freeholder race is interesting
www.app.com/article/20081106/NEWS/811060507
Freeholder race still too close to call
Dems lead by 18-vote edge
About 3,200 provisional ballots still must be processed and counted by Monmouth County election officials before it's known whether Tuesday's election swung control of the county government to Democrats for the first time in 23 years.
Unofficial results show that Democrats picked up one decisive freeholder board seat, but there's only an 18-vote difference in the totals for Democrat Amy A. Mallet and Republican John Curley. Voter turnout in the county was approximately 312,000.
Election officials said it could take several days to sort through the provisional ballots, which are primarily submitted by prospective voters who are found to have unclear registration records.
According to unofficial results from the Monmouth County Clerk's Office, Mallet has 135,688 votes, compared to 135,670 for Curley.
Mike Mangan, spokesman for the county Democrat organization, said he's confident Mallet's lead will hold up, in part because tallies of provisional votes "usually break for us."
Two three-year terms were at stake. GOP Freeholder Director Lillian Burry appears to have won re-election with 136,875 votes. Democrat Glenn Mason is last of the four candidates with 127,699.
Republicans held a 3-2 edge in board seats heading into the election, with both of the contested seats having been Republican-held.
No concession
Curley said his 18-vote deficit behind Mallet equates to a "statistical dead heat." He said he is not ready to concede the election and believes he will pick up enough votes from the provisional ballots to make him a winner.
"I'm basing that on what I heard when I went door to door during the campaign and met so many people. I think I have the support to win," Curley said.
Curley said he may request a recount.
The deadline for a recount request is 10 business days after an election.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, if we come to it," said Curley, who added, "I'm sure there will be a challenge from either side if it stays close."
The county freeholder elections of a year ago also were close, and final results weren't tabulated until three days after the election.
Last year, Board of Elections commissioners counted 584 provisional ballots. The votes are counted if registrations of those casting the ballots are confirmed. Officials rejected 103 provisional ballots a year ago.
'07 results stood
The counting of provisionals in 2007 did not change the election results — with Democrat John D'Amico Jr. and Republican Robert D. Clifton prevailing — but it did swing D'Amico from second place to first among the vote-getters. D'Amico was 14 votes behind Clifton at the start of the provisional phase and finished 13 votes ahead of Clifton.
Officials from both parties said they've been told that the counting of the provisionals won't start until next week.
Democrats said four volunteer election attorneys representing the party were assigned to Board of Elections headquarters in Freehold Township due to concerns over vote-counting procedures.
"We just want to make sure everything is done properly," Mangan said.
Victor Scudiery, the county Democratic party chairman, said the election attorneys were on the scene in part "to make sure there is no hanky-panky."
Both Scudiery and Mangan said the concerns stem from the Republican-controlled freeholders approving a measure earlier this year taking control of some of the traditional Board of Elections commissioner duties, including hiring authority.
The freeholders moved to consolidate the election board with the county Superintendent of Elections Office. However, the state Attorney General's Office successfully sued to undo the consolidation, contending that the two offices cannot be merged because state statutes and precedent cases don't allow it. County government administrators had said an appeal is being prepared.
Information sought
Pat Politano, a consultant for the Democrats, said, "This is a Monmouth County election, not one in Cuba or Florida. The voters have a right to have their votes counted fairly. We have asked that all ballots are stored somewhere and guarded, and that we be allowed to have a witness there when they begin to inventory the ballots. Right now, we are being told the ballots are in a locked room in the superintendent's office and won't be inventoried until Monday. But we'd like more information about the process. It shouldn't be overly complicated. I can understand it will be time-consuming, but we want to be certain that the people with the most votes won the election and that everybody's vote counted."
ON THE WEB: Visit our Web site, www.app.com, and click on this story to learn the latest developments and to join in the online conversation about this topic in Story Chat.
Bob Jordan: (732) 308-7755 or bjordan@app.com
www.app.com/article/20081106/NEWS/811060507
Freeholder race still too close to call
Dems lead by 18-vote edge
About 3,200 provisional ballots still must be processed and counted by Monmouth County election officials before it's known whether Tuesday's election swung control of the county government to Democrats for the first time in 23 years.
Unofficial results show that Democrats picked up one decisive freeholder board seat, but there's only an 18-vote difference in the totals for Democrat Amy A. Mallet and Republican John Curley. Voter turnout in the county was approximately 312,000.
Election officials said it could take several days to sort through the provisional ballots, which are primarily submitted by prospective voters who are found to have unclear registration records.
According to unofficial results from the Monmouth County Clerk's Office, Mallet has 135,688 votes, compared to 135,670 for Curley.
Mike Mangan, spokesman for the county Democrat organization, said he's confident Mallet's lead will hold up, in part because tallies of provisional votes "usually break for us."
Two three-year terms were at stake. GOP Freeholder Director Lillian Burry appears to have won re-election with 136,875 votes. Democrat Glenn Mason is last of the four candidates with 127,699.
Republicans held a 3-2 edge in board seats heading into the election, with both of the contested seats having been Republican-held.
No concession
Curley said his 18-vote deficit behind Mallet equates to a "statistical dead heat." He said he is not ready to concede the election and believes he will pick up enough votes from the provisional ballots to make him a winner.
"I'm basing that on what I heard when I went door to door during the campaign and met so many people. I think I have the support to win," Curley said.
Curley said he may request a recount.
The deadline for a recount request is 10 business days after an election.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, if we come to it," said Curley, who added, "I'm sure there will be a challenge from either side if it stays close."
The county freeholder elections of a year ago also were close, and final results weren't tabulated until three days after the election.
Last year, Board of Elections commissioners counted 584 provisional ballots. The votes are counted if registrations of those casting the ballots are confirmed. Officials rejected 103 provisional ballots a year ago.
'07 results stood
The counting of provisionals in 2007 did not change the election results — with Democrat John D'Amico Jr. and Republican Robert D. Clifton prevailing — but it did swing D'Amico from second place to first among the vote-getters. D'Amico was 14 votes behind Clifton at the start of the provisional phase and finished 13 votes ahead of Clifton.
Officials from both parties said they've been told that the counting of the provisionals won't start until next week.
Democrats said four volunteer election attorneys representing the party were assigned to Board of Elections headquarters in Freehold Township due to concerns over vote-counting procedures.
"We just want to make sure everything is done properly," Mangan said.
Victor Scudiery, the county Democratic party chairman, said the election attorneys were on the scene in part "to make sure there is no hanky-panky."
Both Scudiery and Mangan said the concerns stem from the Republican-controlled freeholders approving a measure earlier this year taking control of some of the traditional Board of Elections commissioner duties, including hiring authority.
The freeholders moved to consolidate the election board with the county Superintendent of Elections Office. However, the state Attorney General's Office successfully sued to undo the consolidation, contending that the two offices cannot be merged because state statutes and precedent cases don't allow it. County government administrators had said an appeal is being prepared.
Information sought
Pat Politano, a consultant for the Democrats, said, "This is a Monmouth County election, not one in Cuba or Florida. The voters have a right to have their votes counted fairly. We have asked that all ballots are stored somewhere and guarded, and that we be allowed to have a witness there when they begin to inventory the ballots. Right now, we are being told the ballots are in a locked room in the superintendent's office and won't be inventoried until Monday. But we'd like more information about the process. It shouldn't be overly complicated. I can understand it will be time-consuming, but we want to be certain that the people with the most votes won the election and that everybody's vote counted."
ON THE WEB: Visit our Web site, www.app.com, and click on this story to learn the latest developments and to join in the online conversation about this topic in Story Chat.
Bob Jordan: (732) 308-7755 or bjordan@app.com