Joke Write-In Votes Could Have Changed Verona Council Election

VERONA, NJ — They could have changed the future of their town’s political landscape. Instead, they voted for Jerry Garcia and Arya Stark.

This was the situation in Verona during the Town Council election on May 14, where the margin of victory – or defeat – was a mere two votes.

Despite having five candidates to choose for two available seats, 28 of the 4,562 ballots cast in the election were for write-in choices. Those nonconformist Verona residents couldn’t have stopped Christine McGrath, who cruised to a landslide victory with 1,336 votes, or aided John FioRito (688 votes). However, they could have meant all the difference for Alex Roman (843 votes), John Quattrocchi (841 votes) or Michael Nochimson (826 votes).

• See related article: Verona Town Council Election 2019 (Meet The Candidates)

After provisional ballots were counted, Roman was eventually declared the second-place victor, and will be representing Verona along with McGrath on the town council. But one of the closest elections in the town’s history could have ended much differently, if not for an iconic rock guitarist and a sword-swinging fictional character from Game of Thrones.

Here’s who Verona’s 28 write-in voters chose this election, according to the Essex County Clerk’s Office:

• Ed Conlon – 1
• Tim Alworth – 1
• Lunn The Machine Halsey – 1
• Dexter Jaffe – 1
• Marley Zulic – 1
• Benjamin Blinder – 1
• Pdw-iii – 1
• Mark Rossi – 1
• Gario-Guillermo - 1
• Brian McMahon – 1
• Stevan Jendi – 1
• Christopher Tamburro – 1
• Chinese John – 1
• Arya Stark – 1
• Sniatkowski – 1
• More Woman – 1
• John C Betzler – 1
• Patrick O’Connor – 1
• Ohn C Betzler – 1
• Gregmccann – 1
• Jerry Garcia – 1
• Patfiloso – 1
• Pat Filoso Jr. – 2
• Patrick Filoso Jr. - 3
• Michael McDonald - 1

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