South River recount to be conducted Dec. 6
BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer

SOUTH RIVER - Middlesex County election officials will soon conduct a recount of the votes for two candidates who came within a vote of each other for a seat on the Borough Council.

Democrat Anthony Razzano was declared the winner over Republican Michael Trenga after provisional ballots were counted Nov. 17. The pair had initially been tied with 1,597 votes apiece in the Nov. 7 general election.

Republican John Trzeciak was an outright winner for one of two available council seats, receiving the most votes at 1,755. Longtime Democratic Councilman Richard Reichenbach lost with 1,468 votes.

The county will recount the votes for Razzano and Trenga at Roosevelt Park in Edison on Dec. 6, according to James Vokral, administrator of the Middlesex County Board of Elections.

Vokral said the county conducted two recounts last year, while South River is the only election in the county to have a recount this year.

"It typically only happens when they are very close," Vokral said.

In a recount, the machine votes are counted first and are then compared to the certified results from the county clerk, Vokral said. Then the absentee ballots are counted, followed by the provisional and the emergency ballots.

"We don't expect any difference, because we already went through this," Vokral said. The attorneys for each candidate can still question individual ballots after the recount is finished, but the burden of proof is on those contesting, he said.

Republican Borough Councilman Raymond Eppinger said his party filed a request for a recount on Nov. 21.

"This is typical for an election this close," Eppinger said. "The residents participated and they certainly have the right to make sure the results are as accurate as possible. No one believes anything was done incorrectly or wrong."

Regardless, the Republicans are taking the election results as a positive message from voters. The party has gained at least one seat on the council, which was previously controlled by a 4-2 Democratic majority.

"Regardless of how [the recount] shakes out, we are still very pleased with the results of the election," Eppinger said. "Mr. Trzeciak was the high vote-getter this election. With [Trenga and Razzano] being as close as they are, the Republicans went from being a party with no representation at all, to at least having 50 percent of the borough council next year. We are getting our message out and doing the best we can to represent South River."

Razzano said he was not surprised by the call for a recount, since the results were so close.

"I expected a recount with one vote," Razzano said. "The important thing now is not winning or losing. It is making sure that the recount is correct, so that the voters have their say."

Razzano said he will be at the recount with his attorney to observe the process.

"The attorney will be there in case anything needs to be addressed legally," Razzano said.

Mayor Robert Szegeti, a Democrat, said he does not begrudge the Republicans for requesting a recount.

"Considering that it is one vote, if that happened in our situation, I am sure I would ask for a recount," Szegeti said. "Once the determination comes, if it is not the same, we will need advice on the procedure that follows, and continue on. But this is not a normal occurrence. In 15 years of being involved in politics, it has never happened like this before."