Watchung Turnout at 55 Percent in Tuesday's Voting
Unofficial totals include some of the votes cast at county clerk's office, mail-in ballots.
The current tallies on Watchung voting from Tuesday's general election are below. The tallies have been updated in the local races to include ballots cast trough the county clerk's office under provisions made for voting by email, fax or at the county offices because of Hurricane Sandy.
It's important to note the results will not be officials until after the Friday deadline for mail-in ballots.
The voting total reflect just 55 percent of Watchung registered voters, an abnormally low turnout for a presidential election. Somerset County Clerk Brett Radi said he believes the difficulties caused by Hurricane Sandy for many families and the ongoing power outage may have suppressed the turnout this year.
Ballots outstanding could affect the outcome of the race for one of the three, three-year seats on the Watchung Borough Board of Education, where Tiffany Brigante currently holds a 16-vote edge over Rhea Williams. John Malchow and James Rhyner received enough votes to be re-elected.
Georgia Glasser-Nehls ran for the balance of an unexpired term unopposed, and Barry Hunsinger ran unopposed for the borough's seat on the Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education.
Borough voters also weighed in on the non-binding referendum on the proposed library expansion and community center project, which failed to gain voter support. Voters opposing the plan cast 1,110 votes against it, vs. 984 "yes" votes.
Borough Council
| Thomas Franklin* (R) | 1,680 |
| Deb Joren* (R) | 1,674 |
Watchung Borough Board of Education (3-year terms)
| John Malchow* | 1,146 |
| Rhea Williams* | 539 |
| Tiffany Brigante* | 555 |
| James Rhyner* | 1,086 |
Other races
| Votes | |
| President | |
| Barack Obama* (D) | 975 |
| Mitt Romney (R) | 1,432 |
| James Harris | 2 |
| Gary Johnson (L) | 13 |
| Ross Anderson | 7 |
| Jill Stein | 3 |
| Senator | |
| Robert Menendez* (D) | 917 |
| Joe Kyrillos (R) | 1,346 |
| Robert Turksavage | 2 |
| David Dranikoff | 7 |
| Gregory Pason | 3 |
| Kenneth Kaplan | 11 |
| Gwen Diakos | 1 |
| Ken Wolski | 6 |
| House of Representatives 7th Dist. | |
| Upendra Chivukula (D) | 821 |
| Leonard Lance* (R) | 1,402 |
| Dennis Breen | 17 |
| Patrick McKnight | 13 |
| County Clerk | |
| Joan Pritchard (D) | 837 |
| Brett Radi* (R) | 1,326 |
| Board of Chosen Freeholders | |
| Anthony Pranzatelli (D) | 802 |
| William Galtieri (D) | 778 |
| Patrick Scaglione* (R) | 1,344 |
| Mark Caliguire* (D) | 1,287 |