640 vote-by-mail ballots cast in Asbury Park so far
275 were carried by messengers
Vote-by-mail ballot use has exploded in this year’s election, with 640 voters using that method to cast their votes as of this afternoon. In the most recent city council election, in May 2009, only 61 people voted by mail.
Of the 640 vote-by-mail [VBM] ballots cast so far, about 275 are messenger ballots, according to the Monmouth County Board of Elections. Messenger ballots are VBM ballots that are transported from county headquarters in Freehold to each voter by a designated messenger, instead of through the mail system.
The use of messenger ballots has proven to be controversial in this year’s election, with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office investigating the messenger ballot process in Asbury Park and executing a search warrant at the headquarters of one group of candidates, the A-Team.
In the May 2009 city council election, no voters used messenger ballots.
The board of elections will not know until polls close at 8 p.m. how many voters have cast provisional ballots. In the May 2009 election, 11 voters cast provisional ballots. A ballot is counted as provisional if the eligibility of the voter is unclear at the time the ballot is cast. A voter’s eligibility can be questioned if his or her name does not appear on the electoral roll; if his or her voter registration contains inaccurate or outdated information; or if he or she has already cast a vote by some other method, such as VBM or messenger ballot.
The Monmouth County Board of Elections will provide unofficial election results tonight after polls close at 8 p.m., but the official results may not be ready for several days if there is a large number of provisional ballots.
POLLS OPEN UNTIL 8 P.M.
Polls in Asbury Park opened at 6 a.m. this morning and will remain open until 8 p.m. Voters may cast their ballots at the polling location that corresponds to their voting district.
District One and Nine voters may cast their ballots at Lumley Homes, 1025 Second Ave.
District Two voters may cast their ballots at Mount Carmel Annex, 1143 Asbury Ave.
District Three voters may cast their ballots at the Second Baptist Church, 124 Atkins Ave.
District Four and Five voters may cast their ballots at City Hall, 1 Municipal Plaza.
District Six and Eight voters may cast their ballots at Asbury Park High School, 1003 Sunset Ave.
District Seven voters may cast their ballots at the Asbury Tower, 1701 Ocean Ave.
Twenty-two candidates are running for five seats on the council. Voters may select five candidates in the voting booth. The winners will select a mayor from amongst themselves.
The current council’s terms end on June 30, with new terms beginning July 1.
————————————————————
Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook and Twitter.
