A woman who moved from Morris County to Union County late last year will be permitted to vote after testifying that she changed her address and voter registration on the U.S. Postal Service website in January.
She told Superior Court Judge Mark Ciarrocca that she had forwarded a copy of her confirmation to Deputy Attorney General Andrew Hedin in advance of the hearing, but Hedin never mentioned it to the judge when he informed Ciarrocca that the woman was ineligible to vote.
Unlike other situations over the last ten days, Hedin never told the judge that the Union County Board of Elections was either taking a position or not – just that he was representing the board.
“I didn’t realize it was an adversarial situation,” the voter said.
The woman said she was surprised to find herself in a court fight over her disenfranchisement.
When she didn’t receive her sample ballot, the voter said she went on the Division of Elections’ online portal and found that she was now listed as an inactive voter.
She told Ciarrocca that she “tried to do everything she could” to vote this year and called local election officials.
“I was told that ‘some things fall through the cracks,’ she stated. “That’s a lot of cracks to fall through.”
“A lot of cracks,” Ciarrocca said.
Ciarrocca ordered the Union County Board of Elections to permit the woman to vote by machine.
Hedin joined the attorney general’s office in July 2024, one month after being admitted to the New Jersey Bar.
The New Jersey Globe withholds the names of voters who appear before judges to protect their privacy.
Voters who feel they are being wrongfully disenfranchised have the right to make their case to a judge. This can be done remotely and arranged through the county Board of Elections.