'No' Vote Has Commanding Lead In Gloucester Twp. Sewage Referendum

Editor's note: This article reflects the unofficial vote totals as of 11:13 p.m. Tuesday.

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — The "no" vote has a commanding lead Tuesday night in a referendum determining whether the sale of Gloucester Township's wastewater system can proceed.

Roughly 4 of 5 voters rejected selling the system to New Jersey American Water in the ballots counted as of 11 p.m. Tuesday. There are 21,532 "no" votes and 4,945 "yes" votes.

It's unclear how many votes still need to be counted. No voting precinct has reported complete results as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Last summer, the Township Council voted to sell its wastewater system to New Jersey American Water for $143 million. But the transaction can only go through if the majority of residents vote in favor of a ballot question.

If voters approve the ballot question, the township's sewage services will be privatized. They are currently managed by the Gloucester Township Municipal Utilities Authority (GTMUA) — a public entity.

Here are the vote tallies. The results remain unofficial until certified by the Camden County Clerk's Office on a later date.

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP BALLOT QUESTION

"Shall the Township of Gloucester, in the County of Camden, New Jersey, be authorized to sell its wastewater system to New Jersey-American Water Company, Inc. for the sum of one hundred forty-three million dollars ($143,000,000)?"

Zero precincts with complete results.

• Yes: 4,495
• No: 21,532