For
Immediate Release:
July 24, 2020
Freeholders
unanimously pass resolution opposing exclusive use of mail-in ballots for
General Election
FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Board of Chosen
Freeholders unanimously passed the resolution opposing the exclusive use of
mail-in ballots for this November’s General Election, and all future elections,
at the livestreamed regular public meeting held on Thursday, July 23.
“My fellow Freeholders and I are gravely concerned
as the exclusive mail-in ballot ‘experiment’ has been difficult at best and
should not be conducted when selecting individuals to lead Boards of Educations,
political parties and bodies of government,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A.
Arnone. “As we have seen repeatedly in the past, using mail-in ballots
increases the risk of voter fraud and causes delays in counting ballots.”
This year, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S.
Grewal has already charged individuals with illegally collecting and processing
ballots in an election, which occurred in Paterson. The Attorney General’s
charges against the two winning City Council candidates alleges that votes had
been cast in the names of deceased residents and those who have indicated they
did not receive vote-by-mail ballots.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey law
permitted residents to request mail-in ballots for any reason, therefore
enhancing voter choice, while others still preferred to cast their ballot
electronically on Election Day in order to fully assess the latest information
available.
“The Board of Chosen Freeholders believes that voter
choice should refer to ‘how to vote,’ in addition to ‘who to vote for,’ in any
given election cycle,” said Freeholder Director Arnone. “On behalf of the
Board, I urge the Secretary of State and 21 County Clerks to utilize in-person
voting in conjunction with mail-in balloting come Tuesday, November 3. After regularly
corresponding with the Governor’s Office about this matter, we hope that a
decision is made before our next Freeholder Meeting.”
The Clerk of the Board forwarded a certified true
copy of this resolution to the New Jersey Secretary of State, Governor,
President of the New Jersey State Senate, Speaker of the General Assembly,
Monmouth County Legislative Delegation, New Jersey Association of Counties and
the other 20 Boards of Chosen Freeholders throughout New Jersey.
For more information regarding this Resolution and
the Freeholder Meeting Agenda, go to www.visitmonmouth.com.
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