Monmouth County Election Flaws Exposed: Investigation Results and New Recommendations Unveiled

An investigation led by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin into the November 2022 General Election in Monmouth County revealed multiple failings in the election process, including duplicated votes and incorrectly declared winners. The Attorney General has made both the findings and recommendations public to enhance the state’s election procedures.

NEW JERSEY – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR) announced the completion of an investigation spearheaded by former Attorney General Peter C. Harvey into the November 2022 General Election in Monmouth County. The inquiry disclosed issues with vote counts and recommended improvements for future elections.

The investigation focused on the November 2022 election in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and the reports were made public yesterday, September 6, 2023.

Due to technological advancements, voting in New Jersey has moved towards digital platforms. However, the investigation found that safeguards meant to prevent double counting of votes were lacking in four Monmouth County municipalities. A local Ocean Township Board of Education race erroneously declared the wrong candidate as the winner, a mistake later rectified.

“These reports are a public service, and we are reviewing them carefully as we work to ensure free and fair elections in New Jersey," said Attorney General Platkin.

Key Findings:

1. Vendor Errors: Voting equipment vendor ES&S failed to implement a software patch designed to prevent double counting, mainly because of lack of technical expertise in personnel dispatched for the task.
2. County Personnel Mistakes: Monmouth County personnel loaded some flash drives twice into the system, leading to double counting of votes.
3. Oversight Failures: Despite having tools to catch these errors, the county did not detect them before certifying the election results.

Policy Recommendations:

The reports advocate for rigorous pre-election testing and post-election reviews. They also suggest vendor accountability, extensive poll worker training, and enhanced communication plans among the key stakeholders. Another recommendation explores the idea of separate legal representation for county Boards of Elections, allowing the Attorney General’s office to focus more on enforcing civil rights laws.

Implications:

The miscount had a direct impact on the Ocean Township Board of Education race. Although rectified, these findings raise questions about the efficacy of the state's voting systems and processes.

No Fraud Detected:

Importantly, the investigation found no evidence of fraudulent or willful misconduct by any personnel involved in the election process, either in Monmouth County or other locations using ES&S systems.

“Elections in New Jersey are secure. In fact, the voting equipment used in Monmouth County is protected from outside intrusions, including by any vendor personnel. In our investigation, we discovered no evidence suggesting that the miscount was the result of any fraudulent or willfully wrongful conduct by any Monmouth County election official or personnel, ES&S employee, or any other person. We also did not discover evidence of double counting of ballots on ES&S’s elections system before or after the November 2022 Election in Monmouth County, or elsewhere.” – Investigation of the Vote Miscount in the Monmouth County November 2022 Election, Recommendations.

The investigation provides invaluable insight into the shortcomings of the current election processes in Monmouth County. As New Jersey moves forward, the recommendations could serve as a blueprint for bolstering the integrity and reliability of future elections.

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