NEWARK – The runoff election in Newark's Central Ward between Councilman Charles A. Bell and challenger Darrin Sharif was too close to call and will come down to 64 provisional ballots.
The ballots will be counted by the Essex County election commissioners at the Hall of Records office on Thursday after 5 p.m. Newark Municipal Clerk Robert P. Marasco is to announce the unofficial results, incorporating the provisional ballots, afterwards.
Provisional ballots are used whenever there are questions of residency or eligibility. The ballots are usually added to the poll station and absentee ballot figures after questions of their legitimacy are determined.
In the unofficial tally after the June 15 election, Sharif led Bell by 25 votes - 2,374 to 2,359 - from the Central Ward's 31 polling districts.
In the May 11 non-partisan municipal elections, neither Bell nor Sharif received more than 50 percent of the Central Ward vote among the multicandidate field, prompting the runoff.
Sharif, should he retain his lead, could become the second challenger to unseat an incumbent council member who ran on Mayor Cory A. Booker's team. South Ward voters elected Ras Baraka over incumbent Oscar James II in the May 11 non-partisan election.
Bell, a former Newark Public Schools Board of Education member was unseated by Booker-backed Dana Rone in 2006. He regained his seat in a special November 2008 special election, in which he came out on top in a field of four candidates, including Booker-backed union leader Eddie Osborne.
Since the election, Booker and Bell made peace and Booker threw his political muscle behind Bell during the May election and the runoff election.
On election night, Bell and 100 of his campaign workers thought they had narrowly won the runoff after receiving figures from volunteers at each of the 31 voting districts.
Bell, at that time, appeared to have won 13 of the reporting districts.
"All indications are is that we have prevailed," said Bell after accepting handshakes and hugs for five minutes. "This is my first time in a runoff. It wasn't easy but a victory is a victory whether by one vote or by a landslide."
Bell, after standing for a picture with his family, was heading to a reception at nearby Club Sensations when additional figures came from City Hall, throwing the victory into question.
The final tallies will be certified by Essex County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin on June 29. That period allows for any challenges or recount calls from either Sharif or Bell.
Whoever becomes the next Central Ward Council member is to be sworn in with Mayor Cory A. Booker and eight council colleagues July 1 at NJPAC.
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