The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1925-02-05
SAYS FREEHOLDERS HAVE
NO RIGHT TO SET ASIDE
ELECTION LAWS
February 8, 1926
Dear Mr.. Editor,

Dear Mr.. Editor,
Anent the dispute being waged
between the Hunterdon Board Of
Freeholders and the Board of Elec-
tions ever since last November, one
vital thing has been overlooked That
is, Paragraph 542 of the Election
Laws of New Jersey, which out
lines the duties of the election
boards and specifies how much
money they shall receive. Thus it
can be seen that the Freeholders
have no legal right to set aside
these provisions.
The dispute seems to have arisen
between the Freeholders and mem
bers of the election boards because
individual bills for their services
varied between $75. and sos. A
writer to the Trenton Times-Adver-
tiser has said that the matter has
been definitely settled that MEM
bers of the election board shall re-
ceive a uniform rate Of S75. for all
the services of the boards in con-
Quoting an election.
The bills from all the members
of the Lambertville board were for
$95. And when the Freehoders not
ed that bills from the Alexandria
Township members were less they
seemed to think they had 'found
mares nest and couldn't count
the eggs" They evidently overlook
ed the fact that the Lambertville
districts have anywhere from 700 to
1000 voters to register in their can
vases, where Alexandria Township
has only about half these numbers.
Whereupon they demanded that
the Lambertville members reduce
their bills, (Which had been sworn
to- from $95. to $85. But all of
them but one refused to do it. And
they are to be commended for this
stand. Because they have the law on
their side. Paragraph SAG of the
Election Laws of New Jersey speci-
fies that the boards shall conduct
house to house canvasses beginning
on the second Tuesday of Septem-
Der and continue until completed,
provided that it must be completed
on or before the following Friday.
And for these services the law
specifies that they shall receive $40.
per day. And this of course is in
addition to their other duties of
actually conducting the elections.
The New Jersey Legislature made
this a law, and not the County
Board of Freeholders And neither
the Freeholders nor the Board of
Elections has any legal right to set
these provisions aside. 1t is pre-
sumed that the Legislature never
dreamed that it would be necessary
to hold a conference to decide
whether or not it would take as
long to make house to house can
vass of 200 voters as it would to
register 900 voters.
And yet seven wise men CD of
this county have been wrestling with
this question for three months. In
the meantime the men who have
rendered their services for registra
tons and elections have been de-
prived of their rightful pay. And
now these same seven wise men, it
is reported, have decided that they
will in the future pay election Off
GERS fiat rate of $75. Thus they
left the law entirely out of consi
Iteration.
Any election officer in Lambert
vile, or elsewhere, with registra-
tions of 600 to 900 as against 200
or $50 elsewhere, who accepts fiat
rate for his services is not fit to
be an election officer. And any
Board of Freeholders fixing such a
flat rate after the Legislature has
positively fixed the rates, should