'This Race Is Not Over': 4 Votes Separate Ongoing Cinnaminson Twp. Committee Election

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson Township: battleground district?

The Cinnaminson Township Committee election could take several days, or perhaps weeks, to determine. Additional mail-in ballots shrunk Mayor Stephanie Kravil's lead from 30 on Election Night, to four as of Wednesday afternoon.

Kravil, the Republican incumbent, has 3,856 votes as of this writing. Democratic candidate Dr. Corinne Taylor-Walls trails with 3,852.

Some votes, including provisional ballots and mail-in ballots received after Election Day, could sway the totals. Both candidates said Wednesday that they'll continue to await the results.

The tight race represents a potential shift in the electorate of Cinnaminson — a town where Democrats didn't even field candidates less than a decade ago.

Taylor-Walls, a health care administrator and first-time candidate, called the preliminary results "a historic moment for Cinnaminson."

"This race is not over," Taylor-Walls said Wednesday in a statement. "This is historic. Cinnaminson hasn't seen a race this close in 20 years. We've already shattered expectations."

Kravil's campaign issued the following statement:

"Stephanie has time and again put our community and residents before politics, and will continue to do so as we wait for the remainder of outstanding mail-in and provisional ballots to be counted. She would like to thank her supporters, family and friends for their unwavering support and patience during this time. If her lead holds, Stephanie is looking forward to continuing to build on her proven track record of steady leadership and success as Mayor and member of Township Committee."

Provisional ballots and remaining mail-in ballots could impact the election result in the coming days.

Mail-in ballots must be submitted before 8 p.m. Tuesday, when polls close. As long as they're postmarked before that time, the Burlington County Clerk's Office will continue counting any they receive through Monday, Nov. 10.

Out of the 2,399 mail-in ballots issued in Cinnaminson this election, 1,654 were counted on Election Day, according to the county clerk's office. Meanwhile, 209 were received by Tuesday night but will be processed on a later date.

It's unclear how many mail-in ballots will arrive later, but that leaves up to 745 mail-in votes that could affect election results.

The number of provisional ballots issued in Cinnaminson hasn't been determined.

All election results remain unofficial until certified by the county clerk's office. The state's deadline for election certification is Nov. 19.

Republicans have long dominated Cinnaminson's local elections and continue to hold all five Township Committee seats.

For several years, the Cinnaminson Democratic Party didn't even put up candidates in committee elections. The 2018 election marked the first time in seven years that a Democratic candidate ran for the local office.

Kravil has served on the Township Committee since that year, joining the governing body a few months before the election, which she won.

At the beginning of each year, committee members vote one of their own to serve as Cinnaminson's mayor. They selected Kravil for the role in January.

Committee members are elected to three-year terms.

Despite the GOP's string of dominance, Kravil said before the election that she values working across the aisle.

It's often necessary for Cinnaminson's elected officials, since Democrats tend to represent the township in county office and in the State Legislature.

"While national politics can be divisive, here at home we’ve shown that bipartisan cooperation leads to real progress, like attracting smart economic growth, new businesses and jobs while keeping taxes stable," Kravil said.

Here are the most recent, unofficial results in Cinnaminson's Township Committee race:

Cinnaminson Township Committee Member: vote for one

100 percent of districts reporting

• Stephanie Kravil* (R): 3,856
• Corinne Taylor-Walls (D): 3,852

*denotes incumbent