An investigation into non-partisan municipal elections last May in Allenhurst is over after the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s office found no evidence of election fraud.
Law enforcement had opened a probe after election officials became concerned over a voter registration surge after the number of eligible voters increased by nearly 75% in about one year. The 597 registered voters are 26% higher than the borough’s population, which was 472 after the 2020 U.S. Census.
“An MCPO investigation into allegations that certain individuals may have improperly registered to vote and/or voted in a previous election in Monmouth County has concluded without the recovery of evidence of criminal activity or the filing of criminal charges,” said their spokesman, Mark Spivy. “The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office stands committed to making sure that elections are not encumbered by fraud or election interference and will thoroughly investigate such allegations in conjunction with our federal, state, and local partners.”
In this year’s non-partisan municipal election in Allenhurst, Mayor David McLaughlin and his two running mates lost by a greater than 2-1 margin against challengers Frieda Adjmi, Theresa Manziano-Santoro, and Joseph R. Dweck. Turnout was at 60.5%,
The underlying issue locally is resistance from some longtime residents that a housing shortage in Deal has led Syrian Jews to begin buying and renovating summer homes in Allenhurst, which is next door.
On Election Day, Superior Court Judge Kathleen Sheedy rejected a bid by one man to vote in the local election after finding that his primary domicile was in Brooklyn. Under questioning by Sheedy, Jack Adjmi, whose name had previously been withheld by the New Jersey Globe, could not produce any documentation showing that he resided in Allenhurst.