Below is a report from Viji Sargis on her 1996 School Board Election. This came up when we (SPNJ) were asked to reply to the idea of having UN observers at the 2004 election. I think more people need to hear about these things.
Greg
>>Here is the story of electoral politics and third party candidates in Paterson and Passaic County; “Undemocracy� at work:
The 1996 School Board Elections in the State operated school district in Paterson had an interesting outcome. I, Viji Sargis, ran for the Paterson School Board in 1996. The election results were skewed and the county clerk’s office “estimated� the number of votes I received. The number of votes I received were under reported. I had to pay $142.00 to have the machines opened and the votes counted.
When I filed for a recount right after the results were announced, they stalled for time to open the machines and get the recounting started. If the process went in a timely manner the results would have been available before the school board members were sworn in and seated on the board. There was much resistance to open the machine and have a recount.
The recount revealed that they under reported the votes I received by a significant amount. I would have won the elections by a significant margin. I was told that the county clerk’s office guessed the number of votes I received. It took almost six weeks before they opened the machines and started the recount. When I asked the County clerk (Republican) why their numbers don’t match with what the recount revealed, one of the sheriffs there tried to grab my papers from me.
In addition to having the machines opened and recounting the votes I also had to go for a hearing. At the hearing the County Clerk’s office produced a different set of numbers. It was clear that I would have won the elections. The revised numbers presented to the judge were totally different than the original numbers issued by the County Clerk’s office, (as published in the papers) and the numbers revealed through the recount! When I questioned the disparity, the county people tried to grab my papers from my hands! Good thing I also had copies of the results. The judge said, “Since the position of a school board member is an unpaid position, you are not really losing anything!� I did lose time and money but I guess it did not matter to them! It is no surprise that they were able to marginalize my electoral participation so easily, they do not believe in the democratic process!! He also said since there are people already sworn in on the board, it is not fair to them to remove them from office and put me in!
I called the president of the Freeholders(Democrat) and let her know about what had happened. She asked me to send the report and all of the paper work. I did, and when she found out I am after all a third party candidate, somehow it was not an urgent issue……not withstanding the fact that the school board elections are non-partisan!
The County Clerk receives all petitions for candidates for elective county office, handles the drawing for ballot positions and is charged with printing and mailing sample ballots as well as emergency ballots, canvas sheets, machine strips, and voter registration lists. The office files campaign expenditure reports. The clerk also certifies votes at primary and general elections to municipal clerks and the Secretary of State. The County clerk receives applications for and mails all absentee ballots; maintains an absentee voter list of permanently and totally disabled persons, and mails military absentee applications and ballots.
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