NJ SUPREME COURT RULES IN ROSELLE ELECTION - RACE DECIDED BY JUST TWO VOTES!!

In a dramatic reminder that every vote matters, the New Jersey Supreme Court today issued a unanimous decision resolving a razor-thin primary election in the Borough of Roselle — an election that came down to just two votes.

The dispute began after the June 10 Democratic primary for a Roselle council seat, where Denise Wilkerson edged out Cynthia Johnson by only three votes, 1,496 to 1,493. A recount later narrowed the margin to two.

Johnson challenged the result, arguing that several voters had been wrongly turned away at the polls. After reviewing testimony, a trial court found that three eligible voters had been improperly denied the right to vote — enough to cast doubt on the integrity of the outcome. The court initially ordered a new election but later directed that the Democratic County Committee choose the nominee under state election law (N.J.S.A. 19:13-20).

The committee voted 20–7 to select Johnson as the Democratic nominee. Wilkerson appealed, arguing that the voters - not party insiders - should make the final decision. But today, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, writing for a unanimous Court, upheld the lower court’s ruling, finding that the statutes governing vacancies in primary nominations required the committee process.

“Neither remedy Wilkerson seeks finds support in the statutory scheme,” Rabner wrote, explaining that the Court could not create new election procedures not authorized by law.

The Court emphasized that while it construes election laws liberally to protect voting rights, it must also preserve the “orderly electoral process” established by the Legislature.

The outcome leaves Johnson as the Democratic nominee — and stands as a powerful reminder of the weight of every individual ballot.

A handful of votes, and the fate of a local race, wound up in the hands of the state’s highest court.

In the end, three missing votes — and two votes of margin — changed the course of the election.

Early voting has already begun! Every single vote counts!!

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