Sarafin withdraws poll worker application after complaint

By Matt Chiappardi, Staff Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — A longtime and controversial community activist says he is being pressured not to work at borough polling places this November.
   As a result, Gene Sarafin says he has withdrawn his application to be a paid Democratic poll worker in Hightstown for the upcoming election. But he says he will seek to be an unpaid candidate’s challenger at a polling place.
   Mr. Sarafin said he believes he would not be appointed by the Mercer County Board of Elections because of a complaint filed with that board by Thomas Conner.
   Mr. Sarafin, a former Democratic Councilman who also sat on the regional school board, has a history of conflict with members of the Byrne family, to which Mr. Connor is related. Mr. Conner confirmed this week that he had filed a complaint but declined to comment further. The Herald was unable to get any specific information on the complaint.
   But Mercer County Board of Elections secretary Margaret Caldwell-Wilson did confirm that Mr. Sarafin is withdrawing from consideration.
   ”We’ve never had any complaints about Gene. He’s never caused any problems that have been put in writing,” Ms. Caldwell-Wilson said Oct. 10, after which she could not be reached for further comment.
   Mr. Sarafin, who said he’s worked the polls for the past five years, is no stranger to controversy. Some of his comments are perceived by many residents to be either insensitive or racist, including his recent comment at a Borough Council meeting that Hightstown’s housing market had reached a “tipping point” with too many Hispanics.
   The animosity between Mr. Sarafin and the Conner and Byrne families stretches back at least six years.
   According to a 2002 police report, the Byrnes alleged that Mr. Sarafin used profanity and intimidation directed toward Mr. Byrne’s mother, Rosemary, at a polling place after she informed Mr. Sarafin that she and her family members voted against a $60 million referendum for the school district.
   Mr. Sarafin says he believes the latest vitriol has resurfaced over a letter he wrote to the Herald, published Oct. 3, in which he repeated his feelings from the 2002 incident, without specifically naming anyone.
   At the Borough Council’s Oct. 6 meeting, Mr. Conner and relative Mark Byrne asked the council to support any decision by the Board of Elections that would prevent Mr. Sarafin from working the polls, according to Borough Clerk Candace Gallagher. Members of the council did not publicly respond to the request, the clerk added.
   Mr. Sarafin said that soon after he received a call from Democratic council President Walter Sikorski asking him to withdraw as a poll worker. Councilman Sikorski declined to comment and Mr. Byrne did not return calls from the Herald.
   Sounding emotional, Mr. Sarafin did not mince words when contacted.
   ”I’m upset this family with their Republican (expletive) is putting pressure to remove me. It’s all political,” he said.
   Mr. Sarafin said he plans to file a civil rights lawsuit against both families and he is still hoping to volunteer at the borough polls Nov. 4 as a challenger.
   Candidates can appoint poll challengers who guard against election abuse by observing the process and objecting to voters they believe may be ineligible to cast a ballot.
   Mr. Sarafin said he had not yet been contacted by anyone running for office, but if none of the Democratic council candidates ask him to serve as a challenger he will inquire with presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign office.
   Managing Editor Vic Monaco contributed to this story.