Voting-Rights Seminar Planned After Mendham Election Scandal

MENDHAM, NJ — Following a contentious election last year in which both Democrats and Republicans claimed that illegal mail-in ballots were cast in Mendham, the Morristown Area League of Women Voters is hosting a voting rights seminar.

The presentation, "Know Your Voting Rights—Voting in New Jersey," will be held on Wednesday, July 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Brookside Community Club, 1 E. Main Street, in Mendham Township.

Barbara Kuppersmith, Chair of Voter Services for the Morristown Area League, will assist registered voters in navigating the voting process, covering the following topics:

• Who can vote
• How and when to vote (Early Voting, Vote By Mail, In person)
• Why you should vote
• It’s easy and safe to Vote by Mail
• Residency requirements
• Process of removal from the voting rolls
• Checking your voter status
• Learn about the candidates

Liza Weisberg of the ACLU will join Kuppersmith to answer questions about voting and the Voters Rights Act.

Weisberg, a staff attorney at the ACLU of New Jersey Foundation, was involved in the Mendham Township election scandal, even filing an amicus brief in January claiming that the ACLU had been involved in many cases involving election law and voting rights issues, either directly representing parties or as an amicus curiae.

Following the Mendham Township Committee election results on Nov. 8, former deputy mayor Tom Baio filed a lawsuit to contest his three-vote loss to Democrat Lauren Spirig, which resulted in the loss of a Republican seat on the Township Committee.

The lawsuit was filed following the completion of a recount and certification of the outcome by the Morris County Clerk's Office in early December, which revealed that not only did Spirig retain her victory, but Baio had received an extra vote by mistake.

In his suit, Baio initially claimed that 33 voters should be rejected because they did not meet the residency requirements for voting in Mendham Township.

The conflict then expanded to include allegations of improper voting by two of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's children. A petition, filed by Spirig's attorney, claimed that if Baio's election challenge was successful, the courts would also need to accept the list of ten other mail-in voters whose residency Spirig wished to challenge, including the former governor's son and daughter, Andrew and Sarah.

The political battle came to an end in February after Superior Court Judge Stuart Minkowitz sought to determine whether enough invalid votes were cast to change the outcome of the election.

However, Baio’s attorney, Tim Howes, ended up requesting a voluntary dismissal of the case.

"Tom had many good reasons to pursue this case. It just didn’t play out in the court as well as we had projected. The fair thing to do was to voluntarily dismiss the cases and let Ms. Spirig and Mendham move on," Howes told Patch at the time.

In advance of the voting rights seminar, the political organization is accepting public questions from residents who have concerns about the voting process.

To submit a question, go to https://forms.gle/KGYUwavWmJRB. by Tuesday, July 25 at 6 p.m.

The League of Women Voters claims nonpartisan status and does not make candidate endorsements, even in races where they host pre-election debates.