Lenz Campaign To Challenge More Than 100 Vote By Mail Ballots

The Lenz for Council campaign is still on the road to prove voter fraud on the Occhipinti side, and will be challenging more than 100 vote by mail ballots on Tuesday in front of the Board of Elections in Jersey City, said Lenz campaign manager Sam Briggs. 

On Friday afternoon, representatives for the two parties appeared in Hudson County Superior Court. Judge Maurice Gallipoli denied the campaign's claim to prove voter fraud then, and ruled that the ballots in question would not be sequestered. 

Based on anecdotal evidence, as well as four signed affidavits, the Lenz campaign claimed that the Occhipinti campaign workers paid people to fill out a vote by mail form. Of the 79 Occhipinti campaign workers, 78 voted by mail. 

More than 500 people in the Fourth Ward have requested vote by mail forms thus far, and more than 350 have been returned. 

"We have nothing to hide," said Tim Occhipinti on Monday afternoon. "We took a play right out of the Barack Obama playbook: vote by mail." 

Briggs said he was in the process of putting together a list of the more than 100 vote by mail ballots that will be challenged on Tuesday afternoon (time is yet to be announced). Briggs added that among the challenged votes there are those of people who do not live in the Fourth Ward anymore, but still filled out a vote by mail ballot. 

Last week, the Lenz campaign requested a list of legal lease holders in the Hoboken Housing Authority. While Briggs described it as a way to make sure that all Fourth Ward residents have their voice heard, Occhipinti campaign spokesman David Cruz called it voter intimidation and "targeting of poor people."

"Elections come down to a handful of votes," said Briggs, "if those are not residents of the Fourth Ward, it changes the election."

A four-person board of Elections will have to vote on every one of the challenged ballots. If the vote is 2-2, Judge Gallipoli will have to decide, said Briggs.