The Atlantic County Board of Elections will examine provisional ballots Tuesday afternoon after a weekend in which Democrats accused Republicans of improperly canvassing voters who filed those ballots. Republicans, meanwhile, launched allegations of their own Monday, with the county Republican chair asking the state attorney general to investigate Democrats he said had improperly signed up voters for mail-in ballots. Two races hang in the balance of the provisionals – the Atlantic City mayor’s race, in which Republican Don Guardian holds a 247-vote lead over incumbent Democrat Lorenzo Langford, and the First District Assembly race, in which Republican incumbent John Amodeo holds a 287-vote lead over Democrat Vince Mazzeo, the Northfield mayor and owner of a fruit and vegetable store. There were 1,164 provisionals submitted in the district, 518 of them in Atlantic City. Provisionals are issued when a voter’s registration cannot be verified or, more frequently, when the rolls indicate a request for a mail-in vote.
The meeting’s original announced Friday date was abruptly postponed Thursday because of a stated “lack of quorum.” The two Republicans said they could not attend. The state timetable for 2013 sets Nov. 12 as the meeting date for all counties and allows two adjournments before Nov. 18.
Jim Schroeder, chairman of the county Democrats, accused Republicans of stalling to allow canvassing in Atlantic City and Pleasantville for information that might disqualify provisional voters.
He likened that to voter suppression, and said he heard complaints that the investigators said they were from the Board of Elections. He said the teams of canvassers were concentrating on places with minority voters.
Full Article: Atlantic County elections board to check ballots.