UPDATE: Booker and Lonegan Win Special Senate Primary Election

COURT HOUSE – Republican Steven Lonegan and Democrat Cory Booker won their parties’ primaries during the special Senate primary election on Tuesday. The two candidates will face off in a Senate election on October 16.
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Special primary election polls will be open until 8 p.m. tonight, August 13.
For election results, go to:
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Cape_May/47463/117837/en/summary.html
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Going into what may seem like a seventh-inning stretch for New Jersey’s Aug. 13 special primary election, partisan supporters are busy on telephones and sending campaign literature in attempts to get their candidate elected as party standard bearer for the special Oct. 16 U.S. Senate election.
Republicans have two candidates, Steven M. Lonegan and Alieta Eck. Democrats have four hopefuls: Frank Pallone Jr., Rush Holt, Sheila Y. Oliver, Cory Booker.
The election is being held under a June 3 “writ of election” issued by Gov. Chris Christie to find a permanent replacement for the seat previously held by the late Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg. Filling the seat temporarily is Republican appointee Sen. Jeff Chiesa, who is not seeking the seat. Chiesa is the state’s former Attorney General. He was appointed June 6, and was sworn by Vice President Joe Biden June 10.
According to the County Clerk’s voter website: www.capemaycountyvotes.com there are 27,043 Republicans and 13,649 Democrats registered. As of July 12, there were 28,128 “other.” Some of those may wish to vote, and in so doing, will have to declare a party. Those who wish to remain independent with no party affiliation must wait until the Oct. 16 special general election for U.S. Senate to decide who will fill the that seat.
The special elections carry a combined cost, estimated at just under $400,000. County Clerk Rita Fulginiti and county Board of Elections provided estimates of expenses to county Chief Financial Officer Francine Springer July 16.
Fulginiti told the Herald she participated in a conference call last week for statewide election officials with Robert Giles, director of the Division of Elections regarding the reimbursement issue.
“We were assured that the State of New Jersey would be reimbursing counties for our reasonable costs associated with holding these special elections. I am working closely with the Board of Elections on the reimbursement documentation which will be submitted following the Oct. 16 Special General Election. We have been directed to provide one reimbursement request per county, as we did for the 2008 Presidential Primary held that February,” Fulginiti said.
She noted that voters would be receiving sample ballots the week of Aug. 5 for the Aug. 13, Special Primary. The county’s contract mailer addressed and delivered sample ballots to the post office Aug. 2.
Voters can access election information and forms at www.capemaycountyvotes.com.
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Wildwood Crest has changed pollling places for two of its five districts for the Aug. 13 special primary election.
Voters in the first and second districts have been instructed to join their third district neighbors in casting their votes at Wildwood Crest Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 building, 7100 Pacific Ave.
Voters in the first and second districts normally case ballots in the Wildwood Crest Pier Recreation Center. That building is not available for the special date due to previously scheduled recreation activities.
Registered voters in the fourth and fifth districts will cast votes at their normal polling place, Wildwood Crest Ambulance Corps, 9300 Pacific Ave.
In the Oct. 16 special general election, Wildwood Crest voters will be able to cast ballots in their normal polling places.