In an unexpected turn of events, an Atlantic County Superior Court judge ruled on Friday that nearly 1,909 vote-by-mail ballots in the recent primary election can be counted despite being opened prematurely by election officials. The delay in counting these outstanding ballots has left the resolution of the Democratic primary for the U.S. House in the 2nd District up in the air, with unofficial results showing Joseph Salerno leading Tim Alexander by 412 votes.
Judge Michael J. Blee’s decision emphasized the importance of upholding state laws designed to ensure that every vote is counted. According to an ABC News report, Blee noted that election laws in New Jersey should be interpreted liberally to safeguard the integrity of the voting process.
The controversy surrounding the mail-in ballots arose when it was discovered that the Atlantic County Board of Elections had opened them ahead of schedule in May, violating the five-day election timeframe. While the ballots were only opened to timestamp the envelopes, the unintended consequence of the process was that both outer and inner envelopes were slit open by machines.
Democrats in Atlantic County defended the error as a mistake, ensuring that none of the actual ballots were tampered with. However, Republican officials raised concerns about the potential mismanagement and called for an investigation to inform affected voters. The total number of outstanding ballots, consisting of around 1,100 Democratic and 700 Republican ballots, was higher than initially reported.
Given the deadlock within the county Board of Elections, Judge Blee was assigned to address the issue and reach a resolution. Despite acknowledging the oversight as sloppy and inexcusable, Blee’s ruling paved the way for the ballots to be included in the final count.
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As the race unfolds, Joseph Salerno, a businessman and attorney, currently leads Tim Alexander, a civil rights attorney, in their bid to challenge Republican Jeff Van Drew. The primary turnout saw Salerno emerging ahead, although Alexander had initially secured a lead in mail-in ballots according to the Press of Atlantic City.
With the contested ballots now set to be counted, election officials are working towards declaring a winner without further delay. This incident serves as a cautionary tale for the upcoming general election in November, highlighting the increased scrutiny on mail-in voting procedures nationwide.