1-26-2023 12:20am

Monmouth County’s 2022 Election Scandal Probed by Attorney General

State to investigate the administration of the November 2022 General Election in Monmouth County following reports of voting errors, including instances of votes being counted twice, in 4 towns.

On January 24, 2023, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Director of the Division on Civil Rights Sundeep Iyer announced the retention of former Attorney General and federal prosecutor Peter C. Harvey to investigate the administration of the November 2022 General Election in Monmouth County and provide recommendations to improve the state’s elections procedures for future elections.

“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 Platkin.

“It is critical that our elections comply with all applicable civil rights laws. Voters in New Jersey deserve no less," said Sundeep Iyer, Director of the Division on Civil Rights.

The investigation comes in the wake of recent news reports alleging incidents of voting machine irregularities in the 2022 General Election in Monmouth County. According to authorities, four separate Monmouth County towns (Belmar, Fair Haven, Ocean Township, and Tinton Falls) reported machine errors that counted some votes twice.

The Attorney General’s Office has retained the law firm Patterson, Belknap, Webb, and Tyler LLP (pro bono) on behalf of the Division on Civil Rights to conduct an investigation into the November 2022 election in Monmouth County to determine whether any person or entity has engaged in any practice deemed unlawful under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act. In addition, based on the investigation, the firm will propose public recommendations for reform for future elections in the state.

Former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey, who served as Attorney General from 2003 to 2006, will oversee the probe.

The investigation is an outgrowth of the Voter Protection Initiative established by Attorney General Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights prior to the 2022 General Election to “facilitate a fair, free, and smooth-running election, and to protect the right to vote.” That initiative focused on identifying and addressing any interference with voting or civil rights that arose during early voting and on Election Day.