Provisional Ballots Counted, Alex Torpey Wins by 14 Votes

Alex Torpey is the new Village President, according to the County Clerk. He will be sworn in on Monday night at a Board of Trustees meeting.

Provisional ballots were opened, counted and verified on Thursday afternoon. The final tally of votes cast in the May 2011 Village President race is: 

Alex Torpey: 708

Janine Bauer: 694 

"I'm really excited, and incredibly humbled, to have the opportunity to help direct the future of my hometown and I really have to thank all of the volunteers and my family, friends, and supporters for working so hard to make this happen," said Torpey on Wednesday.  "I can't wait to continue my service to our community as Village President."

Torpey took the majority of votes cast in South Orange on Tuesday, as residents went to the polls to choose a new Village President. Torpey received 706 votes to Janine Bauer’s 693 votes, according to unofficial results from the Essex County clerk. Just 13 votes separated the candidates’ results at that point. With provisional ballots counted, 14 votes separate the candidates' totals. 

Bauer currently holds a seat on the Board of Trustees. Current Village President Douglas Newman chose not to run for re-election; Monday was his final board of trustees meeting.

Deborah Davis Ford, Howard Levison, and Mark Rosner, incumbents who ran uncontested races on the same Pure Progress slate as Bauer, were re-elected for four-year terms. Davis Ford received 894 votes; Levison received 879 votes; Rosner received 863 votes. A total of 81 “write in” votes were cast, as well.

The race was tight; the unofficial totals had each candidate in the lead a number of times, as districts reported their results after polls closed in South Orange at 8 p.m.  The total votes cast for Village President were 1402, including mail-in ballots and three “write in” votes, and in addition to the six provisional ballots.

 Full results from the Essex County clerk for this and other elections are here.