Sayreville GOP working to ensure Voter Integrity

Arthur J. Rittenhouse Jr. candidate for Mayor in the 2019 Mayoral election has announced he will not appeal the Superior Court decision of December 4, 2020 dismissing the case based on the small margin of votes (18). Rittenhouse feels the Court should have ordered a new election based on the facts presented at the beginning of the case. The Judge however, did not allow discovery which prevented Rittenhouse from presenting the facts about the case. The cost at this point is prohibitive.

Rittenhouse plans to work toward reforming the election process so we get back to the Vote In Person and better regulation of Vote By Mail and Provisional Ballots. There were too many factors and irregularities that must be addressed in future elections. Rittenhouse reviewed some of the items from the case.

The Sayreville Business Administrator is also a Commissioner on the Board of Elections, his job relies on the Mayor and Council. Rittenhouse requested in writing that the Business Administrator recuse himself from any items pertaining to Sayreville. He refused and did make decisions without the approval of the other Commissioners (Total of four Commissioners 2 Republican and 2 Democratic).

One of the tabulating machines did not work correctly on Election Day so the NJ Attorney General’s Office of NJ recommended the ballots be rerun at a later date. When they were rerun, Rittenhouse asked if the results from the first run were available so a comparison could be made. Mr. Thomas Lynch, Administrator of the Middlesex Board of Elections indicated they were erased with the approval of the NJ Attorney General’s Office.

There were additional problems with the tabulating machines. They would jam and have to be recounted. One time when they jammed the Administrator was asked to rerun it and one Commissioner (Sayreville BA) and the Administrator Lynch unilaterally said no.

Rittenhouse indicated the chain of custody of the ballots is a major problem. Ballots from Sayreville were lost and not found for five days. When Rittenhouse asked how that could happen and why the Commissioners were not told as soon as the bags were opened the Head Clerk said “it happens all the time and we eventually find them”.

Also, the Vote by Mail and Provisional Ballots are supposed to be kept separate in different locations. While the Vote by Mail ballots were being run on a tabulating machine it stopped because there were Provisional Ballots.

“I would like to thank the support I received from the residents of Sayreville, the individuals and groups form Middlesex County and the State” Rittenhouse stated.

Rittenhouse plans to remain active and work to restore Vote In Person after the 2020 election
disenfranchised so many NJ voters. In Sayreville over 500 ballots were rejected. The Legislature must go back to In Person Voting immediately. Safety precautions can be taken to keep everyone safe. Absentee ballots have worked for years, there is no reason they cannot work today.