A Roselle council race decided by just three votes out of nearly 3,000 cast will now head to a recount after the state appellate court reversed a lower court ruling after a recheck of machines found a discrepancy in the number of votes cast and the number that were actually counted.
In the June 10 Democratic primary, incumbent Denise Wilkerson edged out Cynthia Johnson, 1,496 to 1,493, a difference of one-tenth of one percent.
“We conclude this factual discrepancy deserves some additional scrutiny since it might implicate a question of law,” wrote Appellate Court Judge Jeffrey Jablonski, who wrote the decision for himself and Judge Maria Berdote Byrne. “To ensure the validity of the election, a recount is appropriate.”
Superior Court Judge John Deitch had denied the recount application by Johnson’s attorney, election law expert Matthew Moench, earlier this month.
There are no other candidates on the ballot in the at-large council race, so barring a write-in campaign, the primary is tantamount to election.
In Ship Bottom, where a Republican primary for borough council was not as close, Superior Court Judge Robert Brenner ordered a recount. Former school board member William Fenimore defeated Councilman Tom Tallon by 10 votes, 127 to 117, a difference of 2.6%. The recount resulted in no change.