Vote-by-mail fraud allegations plague local N.J. election. A harbinger of things to come?

Three candidates in the recent Paterson, N.J. election have filed for a recount due to vote-by-mail fraud allegations.

Nakima Redmon, Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman and William McKoy, who each came in second place for the three open city council seats, filed petitions for a recount in the vote-by-mail election.

A Paterson NAACP leader went further, saying the vote-by-mail election results should be cancelled and a new election should take place.

“Invalidate the election. Let’s do it again,” said Rev. Kenneth Clayton, according to an NBC4 report. 

More than 3,200 mail-in ballots were reportedly voided and not counted in the election. City election officials have not publicly explained why.

Clayton said the NAACP plans to file a formal complaint requesting a new election.

NBC4 reports that approximately 20 percent of all the mail-ballots were disqualified, "some in connection with voter fraud allegations."

The report mentions local activist Ernest Rucker who said he never received a mail-in ballot but election records show his ballot was officially cast. Other residents shared similar experiences with the election.

The city council election was conducted by mail because N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy placed restrictions on in-person voting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The governor's office did not respond when Just the News asked if Murphy supports a new election in Paterson.

The vote-by-mail allegations in Paterson come as the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, which would require every state to automatically send mail-in ballots to every registered voter for the November election.

Republicans have expressed concern that such a requirement could cause logistics problems and fraud while Democrats argue that expanded vote-by-mail is needed for health reasons during the pandemic.