A lawyer representing James E. McGreevey’s campaign for mayor of Jersey City has asked the attorney general’s office to assign election monitors in the state’s second-largest city after two candidates allegedly held campaign rallies too close to early voting centers.
In his letter, election lawyer Raj Parikh said that Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea held a rally within feet of the Hank Gallo Community Center, while City Councilman James Solomon’s event was on the steps of City Hall, also an early voting site.
He also claimed election officials participated in some of the events.
“The participation of election officials in partisan events, particularly those held in or near designated polling places, creates at a minimum the appearance of impropriety and risks undermining public confidence in the fairness and neutrality of the electoral process,” stated Parikh.
Parikh said he had “concerns regarding potential coordination between certain Hudson County election officials and other mayoral candidates, as well as clear violations of state law regarding voter access to early voting locations.”
“The campaign has observed participation by election officials responsible for mail-in ballot distribution in political events of other candidates, as well as irregularities in election records,” Parikh said in a letter to Attorney General Matt Platkin. These matters alone raise significant concerns requiring review. In addition, there have been events held by mayoral candidates O’Dea and Solomon where there was obstruction to early voting sites.”
Parikh said oversight by the attorney general’s office is “critical to ensuring that the election is conducted in full compliance with the law and that voter confidence is maintained.
McGreevey said the “sanctity of the vote is the foundation of our democracy.”
“Jersey City has a long and colorful political history, and with that history comes a responsibility to ensure that every election is conducted with fairness, integrity, and respect for the law. As a city, we must never allow political influence or interference to overshadow our citizens’ right to vote freely, “said McGreeve, a former governor. “Every voter deserves confidence that this election will be decided not by power or proximity, but by the people’s choice.”
