Howell Twp Council: Future Mail-In Ballot Use Raises 'Concerns'

HOWELL, NJ – The Howell Township Council passed a resolution on Tuesday signaling a nearly unanimous distaste for the widespread use of mail-in ballots.

Although the vote has no practical implications on the township, the general consensus among officials remained: a reliance on vote-by-mail ballots for the upcoming November general election will be heavily criticized by the council.

Republicans Pamela Richmond, Thomas Russo and Deputy Mayor Evelyn O'Donnell voted favorably for the resolution, while Mayor Theresa Berger, a Democrat, was the only dissenter of the resolution (the other Democrat on the council, John Bonevich, was absent from Tuesday’s vote).

“Experience is an excellent teacher and the lessons to be learned from the state’s lackluster opening of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission have undoubtedly been absorbed by county and local officials who will be better able to effectively apply social distancing protocols to those who are waiting in line to vote,” the resolution reads.

“There exists no good reason for Governor Murphy to permit in-person protests to occur, but then deprive citizens of the ability to cast a ballot in person.”

Related: Freeholders Oppose Exclusive Mail-In Ballot Use

The resolution further describes that the use of mail-in ballots causes more harm than good, resulting in “confusion … disenfranchisement, and legitimate concerns about dishonesty and voter fraud”.

During the meeting, Township Attorney Joseph Clark clarified that the resolution's title was altered to oppose "the sole use of mail-in ballots for elections in New Jersey”. The original title called for the opposition for "the use of Mail-In Ballots, except in the case of Absentee Ballots."

The July 7 primary elections (postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic) primarily relied on the use of mail-in ballots. Yet, official counts of the ballots took weeks in some counties, with at least one major account of voter fraud in New Jersey. While there has been no official ruling on whether the Nov. 3 general election will rely on mail-in ballots, Gov. Phil Murphy previously announced that a decision will be made no later than mid-August. Read more: How Will NJ's General Election Look This Fall? We'll Know Soon

“The use of mail in ballots exclusively for the July primary election undermined public confidence in the election results, which were delayed for weeks,” the resolution reads. “Numerous constituents have expressed dismay at having their right to vote in person taken away and do not want to vote by mail and do not believe that conducting an election exclusively by mail in ballots is trustworthy”.

Click here to access the full resolution.

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