Union County Objects to Funding Special Election

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is questioning whether or not Gov. Chris Christie will reimburse the county for the state's October special election for the vacant U.S. Senate seat, putting off voting to fund the election until it gets more solid answers.

At its regular meeting Thursday, the Freeholders voted to fund the Aug. 13 special primary election but declined to vote on spending $850,000 on the Oct. 16 special election, according to the Huffington Post.

Board Vice Chairman Christopher Hudak said the election date is arbitrary and designed only to benefit Christie and his party. The special election puts the burden on counties and municipalities, he said.

Christie called for a special Senate election following the death of Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg earlier this month. A state court ruled the Christie is within his power to set an election date of Oct. 16, just 20 days for the Nov. 5 general election, where he'll be seeking his second term as New Jersey's governor.

The special primary election and special election are expected to cost the state around $24 million.

Hudak said the Democratic Union County Freeholders do not object to the special primary election but that the state Division of Elections has not provided counties with information about when they would be reimbursed for election costs, the Huffington Post reported.