BOE election recount changes tallies
Top vote getters Anderson, Etienne & Saunders keep seats
While a Tuesday recount of the Nov. 3 Board of Education [BOE] election figures changed tallies, it did not change the outcome of those who garnered the most votes for the three open seats.
The new BOE seats will be filled by Angela Ahbez-Anderson, Kenneth E. Saunders and Sheila Etienne.
Ahbez-Anderson ran on a ticket with incumbent Barbara Lesinski and former Asbury Park School District educator Peter Cheney. They were challenged by Etienne, Saunders and current BOE vice president Christian Hall, who lost his seat Nov. 3.
Unofficial counts on Nov. 3 showed Lesinski in a slight lead over Etienne but once the provisional ballots were counted the former BOE president lost her seat.
Provisional ballots are for a voter whose eligibility to vote is unclear on election night. If the Monmouth County Board of Elections determines a voter is eligible, their provisional ballot is then opened and counted.
Tuesday’s recount was a result of Lesinki’s challenge of the final election night figures but the recount widened Etienne’s lead to 10 votes. The new tallies include a recount of the voting machines, write-in, provisional and mail-in-ballots.
The new tallies, according to Monmouth County spokeswoman Laura Kirkpatrick, are:
Ahbez-Anderson – 688 [remained the same]
Saunders – 683 [gained three votes]
Etienne – 663 [gained six votes]
Lesinski – 653 [gained two votes]
Hall – 642 [gained two votes]
Cheney – 603 [gained two votes]
Lesinski said she is not currently sure what her next step will be in challenging the new figures.
“I’m considering other resources,” Lesinski said. “I initially challenged the validity of the provisional ballots – that was actually my contention.”
Lesinski said she is extremely disappointed by the low voter turnout; with only 17 percent [or 1,562] of the city’s 9,182 registered voters opting to cast their votes.
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