Tuesday’s primary election a trial run for new voting machines

Tuesday’s primary election will be historic in Atlantic County — the first to use new electronic voting machines in all 151 voting districts.

“We have amply prepared the poll workers across the county for the official unveiling of our new voting machine fleet and ballot card printers, that will pair with the electronic polls books,” Superintendent of Elections Maureen Bugdon said Monday.

Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, when voters will choose who will officially represent the Democratic and Republican parties in a host of races in November’s general election.

Workers will arrive a little earlier than usual to give them more time to set up the new machines and systems, Bugdon said.

“We are excited to introduce this new technology that has served us so well during early voting, and ask for everyone’s patience and understanding,” Bugdon said. “It’s extremely user friendly … and so far it’s been fantastically received by voters and poll workers.”

Atlantic County commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance last year to bond $3.4 million to buy 325 new voting machines that will provide a paper audit trail.

The new voting machines are the same machines that have been used for two years in seven sites for early voting in the county.

Board of Elections Chair Lynn Caterson encouraged all those voting in person in the primary to check their sample ballots for their polling places. Some polling places have changed, she said.

Voters can also see their polling places by using the “Polling Place Search Tool” on the state website at nj.gov/state/elections/vote-polling-location.shtml.

Put in your home address, and your polling place will be provided.

All state Assembly and Senate seats are on the ballot, as well as many county and local offices, but there are no contested primaries in the 1st or 2nd legislative districts this year.

The most exciting races are in Pleasantville and Atlantic City, where Democrats are battling for council seats. Democrats dominate in both towns — no Republicans even filed petitions to run in Pleasantville and in two of six Atlantic City ward races. So the primary will likely decide November’s winners there.

Those registered as Democrats can only vote in the Democratic primary, and those registered as Republicans can only vote in the Republican primary. It’s too late to change party affiliation for this election, Caterson said, but those registered as unaffiliated can vote in either primary.

“Once you do this (vote in a primary), the party you declare is your party until or unless you do something official to change it,” Caterson said in an email explanation of the rules. “If you are not registered to vote at all it is too late to register for this Primary.”

The voter registration deadline for the primary was May 16.

The deadline to register to vote in the November general election is Oct. 17. The easiest way to do it is through the state website at state.nj.us/state/elections/voter-registration.shtml.

To find out whether you are already registered, visit voter.svrs.nj.gov/registration-check.

In Pleasantville’s Ward 1 Council race, Democrat Charles Oglesby is running unopposed, while in Ward 2 Democratic incumbent Councilwoman Joanne Famularo faces a challenge from Democrat Irvin O. Moreno-Rodriguez.

In Atlantic City there are contested races on the Democratic side in wards 2 through 5, but in the 1st Ward, incumbent Councilman Aaron “Sporty” Randolph is unopposed.

On the Republican side all City Council races are uncontested, and in wards 2 and 3 no Republican filed a petition to run.

Running for state Senate in the 1st Legislative District is incumbent Republican state Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic.

On the Democratic side, Charles R. Laspata, of Vineland, is running unopposed to challenge Testa.

Running for Assembly on the GOP side are incumbent Assemblymen Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen, both R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic.

Democrats Damita White-Morris, of Bridgeton, and Eddie L. Bonner, of Vineland, are running to challenge the incumbents.

Running for state Senate in the 2nd Legislative District is incumbent Republican state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic.

Democrat Victor Carmona, a Pleasantville councilman, is running to challenge Polistina in the fall.

Assemblywoman Claire Swift and Assemblyman Don Guardian, both R-Atlantic, are running to stay in their seats.

Democrats Caren Fitzpatrick, of Linwood, and Alphonso Harrell, of Egg Harbor Township, are running to challenge the Republicans in the fall. Fitzpatrick is a current Atlantic County commissioner.

In Cape May County, only Republicans in Stone Harbor will have a decision to make in the primary, with three candidates for two seats on the Borough Council. Other than that, there are no challenges at the municipal level.

Robin Casper, Reese Moore and Tim Carney are each after the Republican nomination for two seats on Stone Harbor’s governing body, according to the county’s election website. The top two candidates will move on to the November election.

Mail-in ballots can be returned in several ways:

hand-delivered to the Board of Elections in the voter’s home county by 8 p.m. June 6

through the U.S. mail, postmarked by June 6, and if postmarked June 6 or earlier they can be received through June 12

through one of many secure drop boxes around the voter’s home county up to 8 p.m. election day

For a list of drop box locations in your home county, visit nj.gov/state/elections/vote-secure-drop-boxes.shtml.

Staff Writer Bill Barlow contributed to this report.