Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-12-01
9RD WARD
VOTES ARE
COUNTED
1918 Poll Book Instead Of
1919 Cause Delay in Recount
at New Brunswick
BIZ stan Correspondent.

By StaT Correspondent.
NEW BRUNSWICK, Dec 1.-Con-
Iiderable delay in the recount of the
Perth Amboy general election vote to
determine whether or not John N.
Wester, Republican, was elected AL
derman -at-large over his Democratic
opponent William Voorhees,, was ex-
perienced today as the result of mix
up in the second poll of the second
ward.
The County Beard of Elections
had completed the count in all polls of
the sixth and first wards and one poll
of the second last Friday and had ex-
pected to commence with the second
poll of the second ward this morning.
Upon comparing the poll book of this
poll and the number of ballots cast 1t
was seen that the numbers failed TO
tally. Upon closer examination 1t was
found that the 1918 poll book had
been locked in the box with the 1918
ballots instead ofethe 1919 poll book.
Louis P.~Booz, Jr., who is doing
the tallying for the Democrats at the
recount and is also an election clerk
in the second poll of the second ward
explained that the box was locked
following their tallying of the votes
on election night and taken by mem
bers of the board to city hall. Owing
to the fact that they did not return
SHeetS, ne Sdiu, liIS pOA was oPeiied
in the presence of City Clerk John
Hanson, Jr., in order to get out the
tally sheets and make the proper
returns.
1t is believed that while the ballot
box was open the 1918 poll book was
accidentally replaced in the box in
stead of the 1919 book. 1t was de-
cided to communicate with City
Clerk Hanson and have him turn
over the 1919 poll book but as was
out OF town this morning the book
could not be secured.
The Democrats then moved that
the recount be continued without the
1919 poll book. This the Republican
attorneys, Leo Goldberger and J. III.
Thayer Martin, objected so strenu-
ously to that it was not done.
Upon looking over the ballots of the
second ward. of second poll it was al
so seen that they had not been prop
erly marked on the back as they were
such as is called for by law
When questioned over the phone
this afternon as to the proceedings
which had taken place in the city
clerks office on election night with
reference to the poll box of the Sec
ond poll of the second ward, City
Clerk John Hanson, Jr., said he did
not recall opening that box. AS to
the presence of the 1918 poll book
in the locked box instead of the 1919
book, City Clerk Hanson said he knew
nothing of the matter. All of the
books and papers with reference to
the election which had come into his
possession, he said, had been placed
B in a bundle and sealed, prior to
turning them over to the county
election board.
In order not to delay the recount
too long it was decided about 1890
o'clock to go on with the recount Of
the third ward ballots
The result of the recount of the first
poll of the third ward today was as
follows: Voorhees, 153, Wester 173,
blank six and eight referred OF those
referred six were Wester ballots and
two Voorhees,. The original count
gave Voorhees, 156 and Wester 1T, a
loss of three votes for the former and
four for the latter.
The work of counting the second
poll of the third ward was commenced
early this afternoon after the election
board again sat following lunch
The Election Board this morning
threw out one of the Wester ballots
which had on Friday been referred to
the court for action. In this case
there was one more ballot in the box
than had been accounted for in the
poll book Of the first poll, second
ward, 1t being a Wester ballot. The af-
fidavits of Kenneth w. McComas and
George c. Meade. election clerks, were
secured bv the county board to the ef-
feet that a colored voter voted a ticket
and then tore off the top part. He
was then given another ballot to vote
In order that he do it regularly After
the votes were tailed the spoiled bal
lot was placed in the box separately.
The County Board decided this ballot
should not count.