With all the votes finally counted the election for control of the Neptune City Council favors the Democrats by a very thin margin. The Republicans are calling for a recount.
Michaela O’Brien’s vote has been counted, 84 days after she cast it, and as a result the Neptune City Council election between Democrat Michael Skudera and Republican Richard Pryor is tied at 602-602. A special election between the two currently former councilmen will be held on March 22.
O’Brien, an 18 year old Brookdale student voting for the first time on November 3, voted by provisional ballot when her name did not appear in the poll book at the Neptune City First Aid Building. O’Brien turned 18 in August and registered to vote on or about October 13, according to the election contest complaint file by Jason Sena, Esq on behalf of Pryor.
Neptune City Councilman Richard Pryor has lodged a contest of the November 3 general election in Monmouth County Superior Court.
Pryor, a Republican, was leading his race for reelection by one vote following the counting of provisional ballots on November 9. In the November 24 recount, Democrat Michael Skudera picked up three votes while Pryor picked up one. Skudera now leads Pryor by one vote, 602-601.
At issue in the contest, which was filed by Jason N. Sena, Esq of the Manalapan law firm Cutolo Mandel, LLC, is one of the two provisional votes that was disqualified by the Board of Election on November 9.