There will be a recount in the Wallington Council election. Wallington council candidate Kevin O’Reilly petitioned the Superio Court of Bergen County for a recount after he ran for a seat on the council and lost by a margin of 21 votes to Councilman-Elect Roman Kruk. Kruk received 1,017 votes to O’Reilly’s 996.
O’Reilly petitioned the court on Nov. 28 for a recount due to a machine glitch that occurred in Wallington District Number Three. On the night of the election, one of the voting machines located at the Park Row Firehouse didn’t print out the voting results due to the machine breaking down. To make up for the broken machine, the votes were counted by hand and verbal consent. After hearing his case for the recount, the court ruled due to the mistake in the voting machine, a recount is in order that will take place on Dec. 8.
“I petitioned the court for a recount because I figured with the machine breakdown a recount is in order,” said O’Reilly. “Truth be told I don’t know if it is going to change anything but I think due to the close nature of the race, a recount seems in order.”
Kruk does not mind the recount taking place.
“I have heard about the recount and I have nothing against it,” he said. “It is Mr. O’Reilly’s right to have a recount take place. I would have probably done the same thing.”
The election also saw residents re-elect Mayor Walter Wargacki to his sixth term over Councilman Ken Kanter by a count of 1,132 to 990. The office of mayor carries a four-year term. In addition, residents elected Republican Izabela Bacza (1,074 votes) to the council.
Full Article: Machine glitch leads to election recount in Wallington – NorthJersey.com.