Dover voter fraud trial to start Day 4

An election fraud trial in Dover heads into a fourth day as Superior Court Judge Stuart Minkowitz continues to hear testimony in a bid by an incumbent Alderman who lost the Democratic primary by 12 votes.

So far, 18 witnesses have testified in the trial and just one vote has been invalidated.  Challenger Carlos Valencia, who ran on the Dover First slate, now leads Alderman Ronald Camacho by 11 votes.

An attorney for Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi had previously told the court that the printing of general election ballots was to begin on Monday.  The county had said it would start mailing vote-by-mail ballots on September 22.

Minkowitz had repeatedly referred to the trial as a numbers game, and made it clear that Camacho’s attorney, Alan Zakin, had to prove that the votes were illegal, beyond any simple technicalities or deficiencies.

The judge hinted that the trial could end today.

Witnesses, some speaking through a translator, continued to voice frustration with delays.  Some had been forced to miss one or more days of work to attend the trial, often waiting for hours — or days — to be called.