An investigation into Monmouth County’s administration of the 2022 General Election has been launched by the New Jersey Attorney General’s office.
The inquiry was prompted by reports of double-counted votes, which may have influenced the outcome of a local school board race.
The state has hired former Attorney General Peter Harvey and his law firm to investigate on a pro bono basis.
“Based on public reports regarding the 2022 General Election in Monmouth County, a full investigation is warranted to encourage and preserve public trust in our elections, including recommendations for reforms to benefit the conduct of contests statewide,” said Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
“Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, and our elections must always be free and fair,” said Director of the Division on Civil Rights Sundeep Iyer. “It is critical that our elections comply with all applicable civil rights laws. Voters in New Jersey deserve no less. I am grateful for Attorney General Platkin’s continued leadership in protecting the right to vote.”
The voting vendor Election Systems and Software acknowledged an error in the counting of votes in Ocean Township, a community of nearly 28,000 residents.
A spokesperson for the company said that a technician “inadvertently loaded votes twice in error.” “Typically our software blocks this from happening,” they continued. “Unfortunately, a human error in a July software reinstallment missed the step that would have flagged the mistake.”
The error altered the results of a non-partisan school board race.
The top three candidates win seats in the election, and Steve Clayton, who served on the school board from 2015 to 2018, finished third with 3,523 votes.
Jeffrey Weinstein came in fourth with 3,503 votes, but moved ahead of Clayton by one vote after the error was discovered.
Clayton expressed shock at the error and is now “exploring” his options with an attorney.
