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The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has closed an investigation of voter fraud during the May 2013 Asbury Park City Council elections. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the investigation, according to Charles Webster, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.

Investigators from the Prosecutor’s Office executed a search warrant in May 2013 at the Asbury Park campaign headquarters of the 2013 A-Team election ticket following a complaint filed with the Monmouth County Clerk of Elections by an opposing ticket’s campaign manager. The search took place 10 days before the election.

The complaint alleged that some on the 2013 A-Team ticket and their supporters mishandled vote-by-mail ballot applications. One allegation was that campaign volunteers filled in portions of the applications that should have been filled out by the voters themselves.

“There were allegations that were made, we investigated, but ultimately there was not enough evidence to charge anyone with criminal conduct,” said Webster.

Another A-Team slate running under the slogan “A-Team — Zero Tolerance” filed Tuesday to run in the November 2014 city council election. The current tickets includes two members of the 2013 A-Team slate, Remond Palmer and Duanne Small.

At the time of the investigation, Small maintained he and his former running mates followed all of the applicable rules.

Separate from the criminal investigation, the Monmouth County Board of Elections disallowed 332 vote-by-mail ballots and 32 provisional ballots which, if counted, could have changed the results of the election. Judge Dennis O’Brien ruled in July 2013 to uphold the county Board of Elections disqualification of the ballots.

Last November, Asbury Park voters approved a change of government referendum, which cut short the terms of all five  council members. A new five-member council will be selected by voters at this November’s election. For first time the mayor — who remains a member of the council — will be elected directly by voters.

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