Politics & Government
Nordstrom Contests Primary Results
Incumbent says some voters were 'disenfranchised' as she seeks to overturn six-vote differential.
Incumbent Freeholder Margaret Nordstrom has filed a petition with the Superior Court to contest the unofficial results of the June 7 Republican primary which left her six votes behind challenger William Hank Lyon.
Nordstrom campaign manager Alan Zakin filed the petition Wednesday. The contest is based on Nordstrom’s contention that a “sufficient number of voters were disenfranchised” because they were prepared to vote, “but were denied through no fault of their own.” Her petition said she believes there will be found enough contested ballots to allow her to overcome the six-vote deficit and be declared the party‘s nominee for the November general election.
Further, the petition said, a letter from Morris County Superintendent of Elections Dale Kramer said that there are seven “illegally cast” ballots in the mail-in, or absentee ballots, and the provisional ballots from Parsippany.
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No date has been set for a hearing on the petition.
Nordstrom of Washington Township is a 12-year member of the freeholder board. Lyon of Montville is a first-time candidate.
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At the end of a recount of provisional and mail-in ballots last week, Lyon had received 12,270 votes and Nordstrom 12,264.
Following the primary election and a recount that determined the six-vote margin, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office was asked to review the Republican results because four registered Republicans from Parsippany voted twice on June 7, once by absentee ballot and once at the polls.
Nordstrom’s petition said “we understand there may have been other illegal votes cast.”
According to the petition, she is seeking a review of the contested ballots, and potentially all the voting records recorded in the voting machines, the provisional and mail-in ballots, registration books, and essentially all material related to the primary election.
The election material is stored under lock and key.
Following the election, during which the results were delayed because of a balky voting machine in East Hanover, the county Board of Elections performed a hand count of 82 contested and provisional ballots which gave each candidate 14 more votes, but did not change the margin, leaving Lyon in the lead with a 10-vote margin.
Nordstrom then requested a recount of 1,605 absentee ballots, which produced the six-vote lead for Lyon.
