Ocean County Gets Election Certification Extension Due To COVID

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Ocean County candidates waiting for answers on the Nov. 3 election will have to wait a little longer, after Gov. Phil Murphy granted the county's request for an extension on the election certification due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to delaying the certification of the election to Wednesday (the certification was due Friday), Murphy's executive order also extends the deadline for election audits in all counties, from Dec. 4 to Dec. 11.

The extension on certifying Ocean County's election results comes as a result of the impact of coronavirus cases on the election staff, according to Murphy's office. Ocean County and Salem County were "unable to meet the initial deadline because COVID-19 has had a significant impact on their boards of election staff and facilities."

The Ocean County Board of Elections had to suspend its work temporarily on Nov. 9 after an election worker reported testing positive. The county had more than 250 employees seek coronavirus tests through the county's vendor, and of those, 16 people tested positive, Carl Block, the Ocean County administrator, said Nov. 12. At that time, the county elections board had expected it would be able to complete the certification in time. Read more: 16 Ocean County Workers Test Positive For COVID-19: Official

While the majority of election races were resolved Nov. 3, there are a handful where the candidates are separated by just a few votes after the provisional ballots were counted, according to the unofficial results on the Ocean County elections website.

In Brick Township, incumbent Jessica Clayton leads Michael Blandina by nine votes in the battle for the second seat. Melissa Parker leads both by more than 500 votes, securing one seat.

In South Toms River, the council race hangs in the balance, as just 14 votes separate the highest vote-getter from the lowest among four candidates seeking two council seats.

The Toms River Regional Board of Education race is separated by about 200 votes between Michele Williams and Ken Londregan for the third seat. Lisa Contessa is the top vote-getter with 17,050, and Ashley Palmiere is second with 13,918.

Under Executive Order 198, county boards of elections that have notified the Office of the Secretary of State prior to the issuance of the order that the county board of canvassers could not hold their meeting by Friday due to the significant impact of COVID-19 on their staff and facilities will have their certification deadlines extended until Wednesday.

"Our democracy is stronger when every voice is heard," Murphy said. "The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented difficulties for the civil servants charged with the extremely important task of certifying and auditing elections. This executive order will provide these dedicated officials with the time they need to properly conclude their work for this year’s general election."

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