A common theme of voters who were challenged in the 2021 SHRSD referendum were voters who moved away for college, and stayed away after graduation, yet still voted in the referendum.
In one case, a young woman who graduated from South Hunterdon went to college in California. While living there at college, she considered Lambertville her permanent address, and during testimony it was shown that her Wells Fargo bank statement used her mother’s home as her permanent address.
She graduated in 2020, and seems to have decided to stay in California. Her permanent address with Wells Fargo was changed to her California address.
Fast forwarded to 2021, and some curious changes happen. Her bank address was changed back to Lambertville, starting in October 2021. At that time she visited her mother’s home in Lambertville, and completed and mailed in mail-in ballot. She then went on a three month vacation with her family in Italy.
When questioned, she indicated that the address change to California was a “mistake”, due to needing a debit card mailed to her. The “mistake” was “fixed” as she was voting in the referendum.
She also testified she recently changed jobs to work for a major business magazine head quartered in Jersey City, NJ. However, despite her new job being located in Jersey City, she has chosen to work remotely from her California home. She only “goes into the office” when she visits her mother.
The judge accepted her vote based on a few factors. He took the story about the address change on face value. He accepted her signing up for the Lambertville Turkey Trot as evidence of staying connected to the community. And the fact that she flew “home” to visit her mother 3-4 times a year.
This woman has lived and worked in California for well over a year post graduation.
