PERTH AMBOY – The Amboy Guardian has received phone calls from poll clerks who had been working the polls for decades. One of these poll clerks said they had received letters stating that they would no longer be able to work the polls, starting with the special election of 5/12/15.
We were able to obtain the letter that was sent out to the poll clerks from the Perth Amboy Democratic Organization.
The letter states: April 17, 2015 – Dear Dedicated and Loyal Democratic Poll Worker, This letter is to inform you that you may or may not be working for both the Special Election on Tuesday, May 12th and the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 2nd. If you receive your credentials from the Middlesex County Board of Elections then you will be working for these elections at the polling place designated (Please be sure to check the location as it may not be your previously assigned polling place.) If you DO NOT receive your credentials then you are NOT working for this election and don’t report to your previously assigned polling place.
Fernando Gonzalez
This is not the decision of the Perth Amboy Democratic Organization or myself. We would never do this to our loyal democratic poll workers of many years and new.
Please note Daniel E. Frankel Commissioner of Registration of the Middlesex County Board of Elections made this decision. He is assigning the poll workers from a list of people submitted the Diaz Team.
If you have any questions feel free to call the Middlesex County Board of Elections at 732-745-3471 and they will be happy to answer any of your questions.
There will be a class for all poll workers at the Alexander F. Jankowski Center located at 1 Olive St. on Monday April 27th at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully, Marty Arroyo, Chairperson
Sergio Diaz
Sergio Diaz and Fernando Gonzalez will be squaring off on the 5/12/15 special election for the last Council Seat. At several Perth Amboy Council Meetings, some residents have voiced their concerns as to why all the candidates were not listed on the ballot.
We were able to reach a Republican poll clerk to see if they had received any information about the special elections coming up. That person stated that the only communications they received was a letter of confirmation in late April that they will be working the next two elections at their assigned location.
The Amboy Guardian called the Middlesex Board of Elections to speak to Daniel E. Frankel, Commissioner of Registration of the Middlesex County Board of Elections. We wanted to see if Frankel had a response to the portion of the letter hat stated that he was assigning poll workers from a list of people submitted by the Diaz Team.
PA Democratic Organization
Vice Chair Diane Crawford
Frankel was not available for comment, but we did speak to Jim Vokral, Board of Elections Commissioner. Vokral could not comment on that statement, but suggested we contact the Perth Amboy Democratic Chair for clarification of the statement.
PA Democratic Chair Marty Arroyo was unavailable, but we were able to get a statement from Vice-Chair Diane Crawford. She stated that they forwarded a list of 90 eligible Democratic poll clerks to the Board of Elections. As of 5/4/15, only four clerks from that list have contacted the PA Democratic Organization to say that they received their credentials and assignments for the 5/12/15 Special Election and the 6/2/15 Primary.
