Decision on Atlantic County do-over election might not come until January

A bid to overturn the results of an Atlantic County freeholder election where County Clerk Ed McGettigan mistakenly didn’t mail the correct ballot to 554 voters might not be decided until January, Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez said today.

Republicans want a do-over in the District 3 race, where Democrat Thelma Witherspoon defeated Andrew Parker by 286 votes, 15,034 to 14,748, in the November 3 general election.

An attorney for Parker, Tim Howes, said that he will ask Mendez to block Witherspoon from taking office when the Board of Freeholders – by then the County Board of Commissioner – reorganizes next month.

“It’s our position that she should not take the seat,” Howes said.

Mendez said he didn’t think a trial on the validity of the election would be completed during the holiday season.

McGettigan, who had been chastised by Mendez in the past for not attending court hearings, told the judge that he was present.

But McGettigan, it seems, could not get his camera to work on Zoom and was unable to change his name.