PARSIPPANY, NJ – NJ-11 Republican nominee Rosemary Becchi is urging the Media to resist the urge to call races on Election Night.
“This is an unprecedented election year. Voting in New Jersey has been vastly different than in prior years and the media should not rely on traditional election results reporting to make election night predictions.” said Becchi in a statement released on Election Eve. “The simple fact is that we will not know the results of the election on Tuesday night.”
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“The integrity of our electoral system is on the line this year. I urge all media outlets to value every vote that is cast and to respect the voice of every single voter,” Becchi added. “It is imperative that media outlets ensure that all ballots are counted before calling the election.”
“All ballots” won’t be counted in New Jersey until sometime after November 10th.
In light of this year’s all-remote election ordered by Governor Phil Murphy. New Jersey will continue to count ballots received as late as November 10, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. provided they’re postmarked no later than November 3, 2020. To make matters more complicated, Garden State voters who show up in-person on Election Day will cast provisional ballots that won’t be counted until the regular ballots are tallied.
Becchi’s plea is part of a common theme echoed by Republicans in the final hours of Election 2020 particularly since Republicans seem to be voting later than their Democrat counterparts both in New Jersey and elsewhere across the country.
“It is estimated that voter turnout for the election on November 3, 2020 will be the highest on record. It is clear that Americans are taking their civic responsibility seriously. The media also has recognized its responsibility by educating voters on the date and process of the election,” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy wrote in a late October letter sent to television network executives. That responsibility extends through election day in its entirety,” McCarthy wrote in a letter sent to Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, ABC News President James Goldston, NBCUniversal Chairman Cesar Conde, and CBS News President Susan Zirinsky, and CNN President Jeff Zucker.
Becchi is considered the underdog in her challenge to freshman Democrat incumbent Mikie Sherrill in a suburban and affluent North Jersey district.
