Jersey City mayor denies campaigning at polls on Airbnb question

Jersey City's mayor is denying he engaged in prohibited campaigning during voting on hotly contested measures restricting Airbnb and other short-term rental companies.

News 12 Staff

Nov 7, 2019, 3:03 AM

Updated 1,956 days ago

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Jersey City's mayor is denying he engaged in prohibited campaigning during voting on hotly contested measures restricting Airbnb and other short-term rental companies.
A short video posted online Tuesday showed Mayor Steven Fulop speaking to someone inside a polling place near a voting booth. The conversation wasn't entirely intelligible, but Fulop can be heard saying, 'So vote 'yes.'"
Fulop said he was thanking poll workers and that he didn't approach anyone or hand out literature.
"Airbnb is putting out that information with a four-second doctored, edited clip. And we're calling to put out the entire video. We don't electioneer at polling sites. We didn't approach anybody. I didn't have material with us. There were 10 other people in there,” Fulop said. “They should put out the entire clip instead of just four seconds, and let the public decide. I'm totally comfortable with that."
State law bans soliciting support or distributing literature within 100 feet of a polling place.
A spokesman for Keep Our Homes, an organization opposed to the measures, told the Associated Press in an email that Fulop's actions showed "a shocking disregard for the law."
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.