A Republican Howell Township councilwoman is urging Gov. Phil Murphy to give New Jersey residents the choice of how to vote in the November election – either by mail or in person.
“I’m sure that the county clerk can have our poll workers do what is needed to keep us safe,” says Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnel. “I do believe that all of the safety precautions will be used. Six-feet distancing, masks, just like when I’m at the drug store.”
O’Donnel has signed her name to a resolution condemning the exclusive use of mail-in ballots. That resolution, which passed with a majority, pushes for voting at the polls, saying, “There exists no good reason for Gov. Murphy to permit in-person protests to occur, but then deprive citizens of the ability to cast a ballot in person.”
The resolution also states, “The use of mail-in ballots exclusively for the July primary election undermined confidence in the election results, which were delayed for weeks.”
Voting for the resolution in Howell fell along party lines, with three Republicans voting for it and the mayor, a Democrat, voting against it. The mayor did not respond to requests for comment.
The issue of mail-in versus in-person voting has become a national issue as the November presidential election approaches – one in which the United States Postal Service has been targeted by President Donald Trump.
“So, they want $3.5 billion for universal mail-in voting for the country,” Trump said.
The Postal Service’s bipartisan board has asked for funding of $25 billion to keep the service afloat – not just for mail-in voting.
Trump has said that he does not trust mail-in voting, claiming that it could lead to fraud and affect his campaign.
“It’s going to be the greatest fraud in the history of elections. When you talk about Russia, Russia, Russia. China,” Trump said.
A national decision has not been made. Murphy is expected to make one in New Jersey soon. O’Donnel says that she hopes the governor sees it her way.