New Brunswick Wards may be decided late Friday

by: kwilkinson

Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 01:48:45 AM EST

I'm looking to the follow up reporting on how much was spent on the NB ward campaign, since the slick mailers from the 'NO' side were rife.

I wonder if I'd be wrong if I conjectured that the ward campaign was outspent 10 to 1? And out of 4,000+ votes, it's down to probably close to or less than 100 votes.  Remarkable.

New Brunswick Ward Question Undecided, are all the votes being counted?

by: kwilkinson

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 01:10:27 AM EST

2,368 against and 2,255 in favor, according to unofficial election results. Just 113 votes separate the "yes" from the "no" vote, and the vote total does not include 185 provisional ballots plus an undetermined number of military ballots that will be counted on Wednesday, city and county officials said. Additionally, the results do not include vote totals from one district -- Ward One, District 2, home to 694 registered voters, said Daniel Torrisi, city clerk. The district sent an electronic copy of results that can be counted Wednesday but no hard copy for preliminary tallies, Torrisi said.

The Coalition for Democracy issued a press release claiming:

widespread accounts of voter suppression, fraud and irregularities that are being brought forward by election monitors and community leaders...Among numerous concerns raised are legitimate voters being turned away at the polls, residents casting double ballots and poll clerks telling voters the way they should vote on the municipal question.

"Voters from all over the City are demanding a voice,"... said Martha Guarnrei, President of Empower Our Neighborhoods.

...Martin Perez, Chair Person for the Coalition for Democracy, "We will work to make sure the voice of the people of New Brunswick is heard"

I'll be watching for the results of this one tomorrow and future election protection monitors' reports on voting irregularities.