Independent Investigator Takes Over Review Of Burlington Co. Election Day Mishaps

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — A third-party law firm will take over the investigation into Burlington County's issues on Election Day, when voters faced extensive wait times at polling stations and the new voting machines came under fire.

The county commissioners appointed Connell Foley LLP as independent special counsel on Wednesday. The law firm is tasked with making recommendations to prevent future issues at polling places.

Previously, the county planned to complete an internal review and make it public by Jan. 30. But since the law firm was just appointed to spearhead the process, the review will most likely be complete on a later date.

"The county solicitor plans to meet with the firm soon to establish a timeline," county spokesperson David Levinsky told Patch. "The expectation is the firm will work expeditiously to deliver a thorough report."

November's General Election was the first time Burlington County used a new fleet of voting machines at all of its polling locations. The electronic ballot-marking devices had technical issues throughout the day, delaying votes from being cast and pushing lines out the door at times.

They replaced the county's switch-based machines, which officials said were becoming increasingly likely to malfunction with no way to repair them.

Polls stayed open past New Jersey's 8 p.m. cutoff following action from the state attorney general that prompted a court order.

After Election Day, the chairs of Burlington County's Democratic and Republican parties each called for the county's elections board and superintendent of elections to review the issues. Both pushed for county officials to complete the internal investigation and make the findings public by Jan. 30.

The Burlington County Board of Commissioners agreed, calling the wait times "unacceptable" and initiating the internal review. Read more: Issue-Plagued Voting Machines Under Internal Review In Burlington Co.

Since then, the commissioners decided to bring in a third party to complete the investigation. They voted Wednesday morning at a virtual meeting to appoint Connell Foley, one of the state's largest law firms, as independent special counsel.

The county election board and superintendent have gathered information on the Election Day issues. However, "neither has the expertise to complete the review process," the commissioners said Wednesday in a joint statement.

"We have decided that it is in the best interest of all parties that the review be performed by an independent third-party," said Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. "We expect the Burlington County Superintendent of Elections and Burlington County Election Board will cooperate fully and we are confident that Connell Foley will deliver a thorough report that will allow us to make informed decisions to address the November election problems."

Connell Foley will review all aspects of the 2024 election, including the new voting machines, polling locations, the makeup of voting districts, and poll worker training and management.

The firm's contract runs for the duration of the calendar year.