Dear Editor:
In his Sept. 26 letter, Tim Occhipinti correctly notes that absentee ballots have been replaced by vote-by-mail ballots. Tim is also correct that New Jersey law limits the number of ballots to 10 per messenger. However, there is no limit on the number of ballots per bearer. Messengers pick ballots up for voters, while bearers return them. Peter Cammarano’s 161-vote victory margin in the June 2009 runoff with Mayor Dawn Zimmer came from vote-by-mail ballots. During that election, four individuals (all associated with the Cammarano and Occhipinti campaigns) were bearers of 175 ballots, the majority of which were from the 4th Ward. The Clean Campaign Pledge offered by Mike Lenz addresses the abuse of vote by mail (or absentee) ballots. Since Tim has refused to sign the Pledge, the residents of the 4th Ward should assume he stands for the political practices of our past.
Chris Baldwin