Hudson judge orders opening of 15 voting machines

The Hudson County Superintendent of Elections will probably do some additional training in the fall after poll workers left memory sticks containing election results inside fifteen voting machines in Hoboken and Jersey City.

That happens occasionally, but Hudson’s total in the 2023 primary was more than the other twenty counties combined.  Ten of the machines involved are in Jersey City, and five are in Hoboken.

Once voting machines are locked, only a Superior Court judge can order them to be opened – and only with one Democrat and one Republican present.

Jeffrey Jablonski, the Hudson County assignment judge, issued that order on Thursday.

The only race that might be impacted is the District 5 county commissioner race, where incumbent Anthony “Stic” Romano (D-Hoboken) leads Ron Bautista by 235 votes, 1,692 to 1,457, a margin of 53.5% to 56.1%.

There are roughly 75 uncounted provisional ballots from the Downtown Jersey City area, which is where Bautista ran strongest.

The machines are expected to be opened today.