Dirty, despicable and considered voter suppression in Ventnor? Last minute political games are in full force as Ventnor, NJ. voters head to the polls today. Three new Ventnor City commissioners will be elected on MAY 10.
Illegal or just unethical? Flyers were distributed on Monday, May 9 that might confuse voting procedure in Ventnor.
Background:
- Shober campaign walked streets of Ventnor less than 24 hours before May 10 election – handing out flyers & sticking in doors. Flyers tell voters to pick candidate from each column (A, B, C). The image (above) simulates ballot and could be misleading at best and unethical at worst. Some suggest it’s a clear attempt at confusing voters to pick one from each column – driving up voters for Shober and Advena, while driving down votes for Imagine Ventnor team of Kriebel, Macagnano and Landgraf.
- In Ventnor, slates are assigned columns. Because candidate Shober and Advena ran solo, they got their own columns ( A, B ). Tim Kriebel, Beth Holtzman and Lance Landgraf are running as team/slate called ‘Imagine Ventnor’, are were just assigned column C in this potentially confusing flyer.
- Francis & Paula DeLuca are largest Advena/Shober campaign contributors. Paula DeLuca is well-known for her community activism and politically influenced, social media efforts. Team DeLuca gave candidates Shober & Advena a total of $9,300 – and indirectly paid for flyers in question. The DeLuca’s (of Idaho) also donated their Ventnor summer home for Advena/Shober campaign events.
Local Ventnor feedback on this possible voter suppression issue:
Tom Hewitt: This is a gross display of voter misdirection. Paula Deluca and other Shober supporters; is this how you want your campaign contribution spent? Is this the sort of communication we are to expect from her if she were to be in City Hall. The other side is completely misleading and lying about how one is to vote. The sentence is in a command voice. It’s unethical at best. Voter fraud investigators might even weigh heavier on it in the current country’s climate.
Kelly Kunik: It’s more than a gross display of voter misdirection, it’s flat out lying to the people of Ventnor. Deceptive advertising is deceptive advertising. And that flyer is clearly deceptive advertising.
Lori Duffield Colaianni: Wow. Talk about underestimating the intelligence of the Ventnor voters—very sneaky and extremely misleading!
Marianne Callahan: More than disappointing! Issuing that print material is at best meant to confuse at worst to deceive! Not what I am looking for in a city leader. Shame on the Shober campaign.
Rand Snyderman: Annoying reminder of how small minded the teams of Shober and Advena are in attempting once again to resort to bad rhetoric to stir the uneducated into voting their way.
Dina Engel: Completely unethical and disgusting. The 3 things that bother me most are: 1. People who are unethical 2. People who lie 3. People who take advantage of others. Shober campaign – congratulations – you accomplished all 3. Shame on you and your misleading tactics.
Maria Mento: Shame on Shober for doing it or allowing it. Not what I want in city hall. As in any company or organization it only takes one rotten apple to ruin an organization.
Imagine Ventor spokesperson; Tony Jewell said: If I were a donor to this campaign, I would have repudiated this mailing immediately. If I were linked to this mailing, I would have repudiated it immediately. Then again, maybe their big funders approved it. We do know they have coordinated on campaign strategy in the past.’
Francis & Paula DeLuca gave Candidates Shober and Advena $9,300 – and paid for the flyers in question. But that does not entitle you to lie to the voters of Ventnor.
DeLuca of Ventnor: ‘you have to vote for 1 candidate in each of 3 columns. That’s why you have 3 columns.’
Tom Hewitt responded to the Deluca statement above. That is NOT true! You are now blatantly lying. I guess we see that some supporters approve of lies in campaigns. It is Francis N Deluca’s stated belief that voters have to vote for one in each row. This isn’t true. Those defending the flyer are defending this lie. Do not mistake that this is what they want people to believe. Francis DeLuca has stated that this is how people HAVE to vote. That is a lie. It is being propagated. People are dismayed at this last minute tactic. Rightfully so in many people’s opinion. You can believe it is not misleading, but people are already mislead.
Rand Snyderman also chimed in against DeLuca: What absolute nonsense. Is this what people campaign for? To have to fight stupid lies such as “you have to pick one from each column.” Ok then. I’ll have two sushi rolls and a sashimi. I haven’t heard such utter BS since I was … Well I don’t believe I’ve ever heard something this blatant.
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