News – Atlantic County Clerk's Office

Recent News

October 29, 2011

Atlantic County Veterans Service Center Expands Services:
Veterans Center in Ventnor Partners with Mental Health Association

Absecon, NJ October 21 2011. Of the over 19,000 veterans in Atlantic County, many are unaware they may be eligible for VA benefits. Robert Frolow, Director of the Atlantic County Veteran's Service Center in Ventnor has announced that they are expanding their services to reach some of these veterans by partnering with the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County (MHAAC). Together, they are offering the services of an accredited Veteran Service Officer (VSO) at the MHAAC office in Absecon.

It is well documented that veterans have higher incidences of substance abuse, mental health issues, and homelessness, as well as a host of uniquely military issues like readjusting to civilian life after being in a combat zone.

With the return of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans over the next couple of years, there are expectations of large numbers of new claims for benefits with the VA. However, the new VSO services at MHAAC are not limited to OIF/OEF veterans; all veterans and their families are encouraged to take advantage of this offering.

VSOs assist veterans file claims for benefits' including compensation and pension claims for service and non-service related injuries as well as providing a gateway for veterans to navigate the VA medical benefits system. VSOs are recognized by the VA as authorized veteran claims representatives.

Along with all of their regular services, MHAAC already offers social worker facilitated peer-support groups for veterans at the Veterans Health Clinic in Ventnor. But having a VSO on staff represents an important new step in fulfilling their plan of assisting Atlantic County veterans to obtain unclaimed VA benefits. Of course, all services at MHAAC are free of charge as always.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an appointment with a VSO at MHAAC Veterans Network in Atlantic County please call Chuck Kluesner at 609-272-1700 ext. 306 or email ckluesner@mhanj.org. To schedule an appointment at the Atlantic County Veterans Center in Ventnor call 609-487-6932.

Kluesner, CSW, has completed NACVSO accredited VSO training, is a US Army veteran, a second year MSW graduate student at Richard Stockton College of NJ and is a co-founder of Mental Health Association in Atlantic County's Veterans Network (www.mhaveterans.net). Questions or comments about MHAAC Veterans Network should be directed to Chuck Kluesner 609-272-1700 or emailed directly to ckluesner@mhanj.org.

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October 26, 2011

First Annual Veterans Appreciation Event at Hamilton Mall, Mays Landing, NJ

WHAT: Hamilton Mall is hosting the first Annual Veterans Appreciation Event on Saturday, October 29th. The American Legion Motorcycle Riders will kick off this all day event with a Parade featuring the Hamilton Township Police Dept., Cologne Volunteer Fire Company, and more. American Legion Motorcycle Riders is a non-profit organization and helps to educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars, and to help correct the past and protect future Veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war-missing in action. They are also committed to helping American Veterans from all wars. A live radio broadcast on Classic Rock 103.7 FM will be on hand.

The Expo will continue in Hamilton Mall's Center Court with informative information for Veterans and their families such as healthcare, prescriptions, and housing for homeless Veterans. Participating Mall stores and Food Court merchants and restaurants, including Johnny Rockets, Ruby Tuesday, The Olive Garden, On Rye & Subway will be offering discounts throughout the day for Veterans and their families. Plus, kids can get in on the action by getting their face painted with a Patriotic picture-courtesy of Facetival Face Painting located in Hamilton Mall, lower level across from the children's play area.

For more information, log on to www.shophamilton.com.

WHEN:
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Noon

WHERE:
Hamilton Mall, Center Court
4403 Black Horse Pike
Mays Landing, NJ 08330

CONTACT
Kim DeAnnuntis, Hamilton Mall
609-646-8326
kimdeannuntis@kravco.com

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October 8, 2011

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan Brings Veterans Program to State Senate

The New Jersey Senate will consider an idea born in Atlantic County. The Senate Committee on Military and Veteran's Affairs unanimously approved Senate Bill S2991 which would promote the veterans Discount Identification Card program statewide. The Veterans Discount ID Card was an initiative of the Atlantic County Clerk's Office and County Clerk Ed McGettigan offered compelling testimony about the success of the program in Atlantic County prior to the vote releasing the bill to be considered by the entire Senate body.

McGettigan told the Senators that his office has already issued almost 3000 veteran Discount ID Cards to Atlantic County veterans which allow those veterans to receive discounts ranging from five to fifteen percent at over forty participating retailers in Atlantic County. Those retailers are varied according to McGettigan, including everything from home improvement outlets to bakeries, electronics stores, dentists and even attorneys.

The photo ID card that the Atlantic County Clerk's Office provides offers a uniform and immediately recognizable vehicle for the retailers to utilize as a part of their individual discount programs. McGettigan added that the retailers understand that the Clerk's Office has verified the veteran status of the holder of the card.

McGettigan said that the program has taken on a life of its own and has allowed the Atlantic County Clerk's Office to become involved with veteran issues and affairs on many levels. Area veterans organizations quickly became interested in the program. Soon, the Clerk's Office began hosting veterans meetings bringing together representatives and advocates from all of the veterans organizations in the County such as the VFWs, American Legions, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Those meetings became a new organization, the United Veterans Council which is an independent organization created to promote the needs and welfare of all veterans in Atlantic County, whether or not those veterans are members of official organizations.

McGettigan also pointed out that his office provides outreach services to Veterans at many VFW and American Legion sites to present veteran services such as the veterans discount card. "The ultimate outreach service," McGettigan said, "Has been the Veterans Corner section of the Clerk's website, www.atlanticcountyclerk.orga."

The Veterans Corner serves the entire veterans community with current information and resources, including all the information supporting local veteran organizations

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New Jersey Gold Star Family License Plate

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office is proud to offer a variety of services to veterans and their families. The Gold Star Mothers program is especially deserving of the support and attention of our residents. Gold Star Mothers have sacrificed sons or daughters in battle. We encourage Gold Star Mothers to request the special recognition license plates which are now available in New Jersey.

New Jersey now has a Gold Star Family license plate available to certain members of the deceased service member's family. Those entitled to this plate are: Widow (remarried or not), Widower (remarried or not) Mother, Father, Stepmother, Stepfather, Adoptive Mother, Adoptive Father, Foster Parent, Legal Guardian/Custodian Sister, Brother, Half Sister, Half Brother Daughter, Son, Stepdaughter, Stepson.

License Plate

Obtaining Your NJ Gold Star License Plate
http://www.goldstarmoms.com/Depts/NJ/GSF_Plate/GSFPlateAppl.htm

NJ State Motor Vehicle Commission – Military Personnel License Plates
http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Vehicle/MilitaryPersonnel.htm

History - American Gold Star Mothers, Inc
http://www.goldstarmoms.com/whoweare/history/history.htm

Senate Bill S-2192 Authorizes special Gold Star Family motor vehicle license plates for certain family members of military personnel who died while on active duty.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/S2500/2192_R1.htm

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August 2, 2011

County Clerk Reminds Voters of Important Election Dates

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan said today that while the November General Election may seem off in a distance, it will be here before we know it. He pointed out that there are a number of important deadlines that voters and candidates should be aware of in advance of the election. They are:

AUGUST 15: DRAWING OF BALLOT POSITIONS FOR GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES BY THE COUNTY CLERK (3 PM). (NJSA 19:13-22)

AUGUST 19: DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL QUESTIONS TO THE COUNTY CLERKS FOR PRINTING ON THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT. (NJSA 19:37-1)

SEPTEMBER 2: DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF GENERAL ELECTION PUBLIC QUESTIONS PROPOSED BY THE ELECTORATE AND ADOPTED BY LOCAL OR COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO BE FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK. (NJSA 19:37-1.1)

SEPTEMBER 6: DEADLINE FOR FILLING OF A VACANCY FOR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:13-19)

SEPTEMBER 9: DEADLINE FOR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES TO DECLINE NOMINATION FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:13-16)

SEPTEMBER 13: LAST DAY VACANCY CAN OCCUR FOR PRIMARY ELECTION NOMINEES FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:13-20)

SEPTEMBER 14: PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF MAIL-IN BALLOT AVAILABILITY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION BY THE COUNTY CLERK. (NJSA 19:63-6)

SEPTEMBER 15: DEADLINE FOR FILLING PRIMARY NOMINEE VACANCY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:13-20)

SEPTEMBER 18-OCTOBER 18: PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION BY THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS. (NJSA 19:12-7)

SEPTEMBER 19: DEADLINE FOR PREPARATION OF THE OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT FOR PRINTING. (NJSA 19:14-1)

SEPTEMBER 24: COMMENCEMENT OF MAILING OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:63-5 AND 19:63-9)

OCTOBER 18: VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 31-6)

OCTOBER 18: MANDATED EVENING VOTER REGISTRATION AVAILABLE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:31-2)

OCTOBER 25: DEADLINE FOR FILING OF CHALLENGER APPOINTMENTS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:7-3 AND 19:12-7)

OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6: PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION BY THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS. (NJSA 19:12-9)

NOVEMBER 1: DEADLINE FOR MAIL-IN BALLOT APPLICATIONS BY MAIL FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. (NJSA 19:63-5)

NOVEMBER 3: DEADLINE FOR MAILING OF SAMPLE BALLOTS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION (NJSA 19:14-25)

NOVEMBER 4: DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION TO RECEIVE MAIL-IN BALLOT FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS FOR QUALIFIED MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS. (NJSA 19:59-4)

NOVEMBER 7: DEADLINE FOR IN-PERSON MAIL-IN BALLOT APPLICATIONS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION (3 PM). (NJSA 19:63-3, 19:63-4, AND 19:63-5)

NOVEMBER 8: PUBLICATION OF CHALLENGE AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION BY COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS. (NJSA 19:12-9)

NOVEMBER 8: GENERAL ELECTION DAY

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May 4, 2011

Ed McGettigan as guest speaker, address the
Atlantic City Rotary Club Luncheon 5/3/11

Rotary 2011

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March 22, 2011

Countywide Veterans Expo set for Hamilton Township

By WALLACE McKELVEY, Staff Writer

As part of the county and township's ongoing veterans outreach efforts, a Veterans Expo and Seminar, the first in 10 years, has been scheduled for April 30 at the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in Mays Landing.

Robert J. Campbell, chairman of the Hamilton Township Veterans Advisory Board, which organized the event, said at least 30 organizations and vendors will attend to provide information about the resources available to vets.

Many veterans, especially those from the latest wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, don't know what services they're entitled to, he said.

Read the FULL ARTICLE at pressofatlanticcity.com

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March 13, 2011

A "Scam Alert" from Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan

The following letters are being circulated disguised as correspondence from official sources. In fact, they are a scam. Please be advised not to respond, and especially not to send the so-called overpaid tax refund they describe. If you receive a letter like the one shown below, disregard it. It is fraudulent. Please pass it on!

SCAM - IRS Overpayment Notification (ID: 15256545763)

Overpayment Notification
Date of this Notice: MAR. 06, 2011
Taxpayer Identifying Number: xxx-xx-xxxx
Form: 1040
Tax Period: DEC. 31, 2010

Subject: Taxpayer Overpayment on Tax Refund

Dear Taxpayer:

Our records show you were overpaid on your Federal Tax Refund under Social Security Number xxx-xx-xxxx, therefore $380.00 of the overpaid Tax Refund must be returned.

This memorandum serves as notification of an overpayment of Tax Refund that you received and the subsequent repayment that is your responsibility.

The overpayment totals $380.00 for 1040/2010 filing period you were overpaid in error because of an incorrect Tax Adjustment causing an incorrect refund.

You are offered the following options of repayment within five (05) business days from today Mar. 11, 2011. Failure to respond timely will result in the immediate recovery of the overpayment, fines, and possible criminal prosecution.

If you disagree with the amount listed below, you have the right to an immediate Pre-decision Meeting with a person who has direct access to the agency appointing authority for this purpose.

A summary of the overpayment is as follows:

Here are your Re-payment Options:

1. Submit payment within five (05) business days of the "date of demand" to the account:
   Name(s) on Receiving Account: Carol Ann Miller
   Street: 125 Congress St.
   City: White Oak
   Zip Code: 15131
   State: Pennsylvania
   Country: United States
   Bank name: FIFTH THIRD BANK
   Bank Account Number: 7400728122
   Electronic ABA Routing Number(ex. Direct Deposit/Automatic Payment):043018868
   Wire ABA Routing Number: 042000314
   Bank Address:348 Lincoln Highway,
   North Versailles,
   PA, 15137
   Bank phone #:1-800-972-3030
2. Write on transfer reference: "Payment of Erroneous Refund" and your SSN.
3. Failure to comply within the given time frame will result in stiff penalties and interest accruals in excess of what is owed.

Sincerely yours,

WILLIAM C. MALAHAI
19-06693
Tax Assessment Supervisor

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March 6, 2011

2011 Important Election Dates

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan reminds voters of important election dates. Below are the dates for the Annual School Board Elections and the June Primary Election.

March 17 Drawing of Ballot Positions for the Annual School Board Elections

March 21 Deadline for Certification of Ballot Draw to the County Clerk by School Board Secretary

April 6 Voter Registration Deadline for the Annual School Board Elections

April 8 Deadline to Submit Public Question Statements for Annual School Board Elections to the County Clerk by the School Board Secretary, 10:00 AM

April 11 Deadline for Nominating Petitions for Primary Election

April 18 Deadline for Change of Party Affiliation Declaration Forms to be Filed with the County Commissioner of Registration (Superintendent of Elections)

April 20 Deadline for Filing Certificate to Fill Vacancy of a Primary Election Candidate

April 20 Mailing of Sample Ballots for the Annual School Board Elections

April 20 Deadline for Applications for Mail-In Ballots to the County Clerk's Office for the Annual School Board Elections.

April 21 Drawing for Ballot Positions for Primary Election Candidates

April 22 Deadline for Applications to Receive Annual School Board Election Mail-In Ballots by Electronic Means for Qualified Overseas Civilian and Military Voters

April 26 Deadline for In-Person Mail-In Ballot Applications, 3 PM for the Annual School Board Elections

April 27 ANNUAL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

May 17 Voter Registration Deadline for Primary Election

May 31 Deadline for Mail-In Ballot Applications by Mail for Primary Election

June 1 Deadline for Mailing of Sample Ballots for Primary Election

June 3 Deadline to Receive Primary Election Mail-In Ballots by Electronic Means for Qualified Overseas Civilian and Military Voters

June 6 Deadline for In-Person Mail-In Ballot Applications for Primary Election

June 7 PRIMARY ELECTION

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March 2, 2011

Jury Duty Scam

Pass this on. This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury DUTY coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the Scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado, AZ and more. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.

The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.
Check it out here:

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

And here:

http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

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February 3, 2011

Letter to Secretary of Veteran Affairs

Dear Secretary Shinseki,

As the Clerk of Atlantic County, New Jersey I have an opportunity to work with many of the outstanding Military Veterans of this County. I am an avid supporter and advocate of the issues and causes of the veterans who reside in Atlantic County.

Secretary Shinseki, it has recently been brought to my attention that there is a proposal by Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, New Jersey, to develop a pilot program to offer radiation and dialysis treatment to our veterans locally.

This would be an enormous relief and assistance to help these ailing veterans eliminate the need for them to travel to an out of area VA Medical Center in Philadelphia or Delaware.

I believe we can all relate on a personal level, to having a sick family member or friend with a devastating health crisis and this would be an extraordinary opportunity to get the high quality health care, which Atlantic County, New Jersey is known for, right here in their own neighborhood and familiar surroundings.

I thank you for your time and consideration to allow our veterans this fee-for-service capability and an urgently needed program and benefit.

Respectfully,

Edward P. McGettigan

Download Letter [PDF]

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January 24, 2011

County Clerk Veteran ID Card Gives Discounts in Area Stores

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan today announced a new program in conjunction with Atlantic County veterans' organizations which will provide area veterans with the opportunity to receive discounts at a host of retail stores.

The Clerk explained that his office issues photo ID Cards to veterans who present their DD214 discharge form to his office which are scanned for collective records preservation. Providing photo ID cards is just one of the many functions of the County Clerk's Office. As an added benefit agreements have now been reached with many area retail stores, restaurants and even cell phone providers to provide the veteran discounts. Some of those establishments include Lowe's, Home Depot, Payless Shoes, GNC, and Michael's. Restaurants such as Denny's, Burger King and Pizza Hut have also joined the program. Service providers such as AT & T, Geico, and even Sears Portrait Studio are also on the list. A complete list of participants is available at the County Clerk's website, www.atlanticcountyclerk.org.

McGettigan said that most of the discounts range from 10 percent to 15 and even 20 percent in some cases. McGettigan added that he will be approaching retail establishments not yet on the list to give them an opportunity to participate.

"I can't imagine any business in Atlantic County not wanting to be associated with this effort for our servicemen and women who have given so much," he said. "It's just good business. There are an estimated 45,000 veterans in Atlantic County."

"This is a very exciting program," McGettigan added. "It's not often we have the opportunity to do something as tangible as this for our service men and women and their families."

Commanders of all veterans organizations in Atlantic County, including VFW's, American Legions, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Vietnam Veterans of America, have been active in this program, reaching out to their members and other veterans to inform them about the program. The Clerk's Office also participates in veteran's outreach programs with these organizations to issue the ID Cards to as many veterans as possible.

"The outreach program to veterans' groups has been an ongoing priority of the Clerk's Office," McGettigan said, "We take the office services right out to their locations and process their photo ID cards on site."

McGettigan also indicated that senior members of his staff who are working with the program are also veterans. Art Lucchesi, Deputy County Clerk, is a Vietnam era Marine veteran and John Piatt, Management Specialist, is an Army Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient.

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office will be issuing veteran ID cards at its main office in Mays Landing during normal business hours, 8:30 am to 4:15 pm on weekdays except for Mondays and Wednesdays when the Mays Landing office remains open until 5:45 pm. The service will also be available at the Clerk's satellite office operations at both Shore Mall and Hamilton Mall on Tuesdays, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturdays between 10 am and 2 pm.

The Clerk's webpage will compliment the program by offering a "Veterans Corner" which will contain important links for veterans as well as current veteran news and updates on the veterans ID Card program.

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January 4, 2011

New Date for Annual School Board Elections Announced

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan reported today that the scheduled date of the annual school board election of Tuesday, April 19, 2011 has been changed to Wednesday, April 27, 2011. McGettigan said that State's Acting Commissioner of Education has changed the election date due to conflicts with the religious observances of Passover. The date was moved to the 27th in order to also avoid conflicts with religious observances of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the last two days of Passover.

Although the State has not yet released its official calendar for 2011, the following dates will also be affected: The deadline for voter registration for the Annual School Board Election will now be Wednesday, April 6, 2011. The last day the Clerk's Office will accept Mail-In Ballot Applications via mail will be Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 3 PM will be the deadline for in-person voting at the Clerk's Office for that election.

The 2011 June Primary remains scheduled for June 7, 2011 and the General Election remains scheduled for November 8, 2011.

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October 19, 2010

NEWS RELEASE 10/19/2010: YOU CAN STILL VOTE BY MAIL

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan said today that while Election Day is just around the corner, it is still possible to Vote by Mail. Applications for Mail In ballots must be received by the County Clerk's Office by October 26th. After that voters can still submit an application in person at the County Clerk's Mays Landing Office at the Historic Courthouse at 5901 Main Street. Applications can be accepted at the Clerk's Office until 3 PM on November 1st, the day before the election. Clerk McGettigan encourages voters to use the Vote by Mail process.

"Voting by mail gives voters a convenient way to vote in the quiet and calm of their own homes," McGettigan said. "It is easy, and available to all registered voters," he added noting that the new election laws do not require a reason for voting by mail as was the case in the past.

Vote by mail applications are available on-line at the Atlantic County Clerk's website, www.atlanticcountyclerk.org. There is also a short video on the website to provide assistance in filling out a Mail-In Ballot application as well as another short video with instructions on how to vote a Mail-In Ballot, if needed.

Once Mail-In Ballot applications are approved, the Clerk's Office issues a Mail-In Ballot. Once the Mail-In Ballot is voted it can be returned to the Board of Elections any time prior to the closing of the polls on elections day. Usually voters return them by mail, but they can be hand delivered to the Board of Elections so long as they arrive prior to the closing of the polls on Election Day.

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August 15, 2010

ATLANTIC COUNT CLERK OPENS SATELLITE AT HAMILTON MALL

Click image above to see slideshow

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan today announced the latest extension of his office's services to Atlantic County residents.

"As part of our continuing outreach to Atlantic County residents," McGettigan said, "we are proud to announce the opening of a new satellite Clerk's Office facility at the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing."

"This facility will enable residents to apply for passports, receive county photo ID cards, register business trade names, in addition to many other services the Clerk's Office provides, all in a convenient shopping venue," McGettigan added.

The new satellite office is scheduled to open August 10th and is located on the second floor of the Hamilton Mall, adjacent to Sears.

"The Hamilton Township Police Department and the Hamilton Mall management have made this location possible without any expense whatsoever to the taxpayers," McGettigan said.

The Hamilton Mall location is the latest mall satellite office of the Atlantic County Clerk's Office, joining Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township, which is also maintained without cost to taxpayers.

The main office of the Atlantic County Clerk's Office at 5901 Main Street in Mays Landing, however, remains the sole repository of real estate records and the service location for real estate transaction recording services. In addition to the mall satellites services are also offered at the Clerk's Office satellite at the Atlantic County Office Building in Atlantic City.

McGettigan said that his office has been aggressively pursuing new avenues to reach and promote services to Atlantic County residents.

"We use existing staff and equipment to expand services in creative and effective ways," McGettigan continued, "The satellite office program is just one facet of our comprehensive effort to bring our services directly to the public."

Other efforts by the Clerk's Office include expanded public service announcements about relevant news and services, public outreach appearances to provide services to groups at their locations, a casino employee information program, as well as initiatives for shared services with municipalities and other government agencies. Along with outreach activities the Clerk's Office emphasis on the satellite program is an example of the effectiveness of shared services throughout our communities.

The Hamilton Mall satellite office will be open on Tuesdays between 10 AM and 5 PM and on Saturdays between 10 AM and 2 PM. It is located near the back entrance of the Mall adjacent to Sears.

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July 22, 2010

COUNTY CLERK SAVED MONEY FOR TRAVELERS
AND RAISED OVER $10,000 FOR THE COUNTY

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan announced today that "Passport Week" was a great success which resulted in significant savings for many Atlantic County passport applicants. The Atlantic County Clerk's Office launched a full scale public information outreach to alert residents of the pending increase in passport fees and provided extra hours to accommodate people at its satellite location at the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township. Passport applications were processed at the Clerk's Mays Landing office and the Atlantic City satellite office in addition to the Shore Mall location.

The U.S. Department of State announced an increase in Passport fees from a total of $100 to $135 which includes the county's portion of the passport fees and became effective on July 13th. The week running up to the fee increase saw a large spike in passport applications due to the Clerk's public service announcements on radio, television and in the printed media. During "Passport Week" the Clerk's Office processed a record 423 passports, generating $10,345 in revenue which goes directly to Atlantic County as the county's share of the fees.

"The public response was phenomenal," McGettigan said, "and we were pleased to be able to make the extra effort to give people a chance to save money."

"We don't merely accept the passports, "McGettigan added, "Our professionally trained staff reviews them carefully before they are submitted to the State Department so that they are not rejected."

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July 8, 2010

MEDIA RELEASE
U.S. PASSPORT FEE INCREASE NOTIFICATION TO THE COUNTY CLERK
FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE GIVEN FINAL DATE
FEE INCREASES TO START ON JULY 13TH

Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan has received the final notification of the date of the U.S. Passport Book and Card Fee Increase. The new fees will commence on Tuesday July 13th, 2010. "While the announced fee increase is certainly a significant amount, we have kept the public informed with each update we have received from the U.S. State Department since last March" said County Clerk McGettigan. "The new increased fee chart with the adult and minor fees and other passport services can be accessed through our web site at www.atlanticcountyclerk.org or at www.travel.state.gov." said McGettigan. The highest portion of the increase will be adult passports which will increase from $75.00 to $110.00 for a first time Passport or a Renewal. The $25.00 processing fee and the $60.00 Expedite fee will remain unchanged.

According the United States Passport Services Office, "Passport Application fees are used to cover the cost of producing a passport book or card and portions are also used for providing emergency services to United States citizens overseas during times of natural disasters, crime victims, and providing support to the families of U.S. Citizens who have died or faced other catastrophic occurrences while travelling".

The new fees also enable the U.S. Department of State to continually upgrade technology with the highest level of security features currently contained in all Passports Books and Cards which were previously unavailable, and gives the passport agency, border, customs, and homeland security officials, increased ability in fraud and identity detection. The Passport operations staff and facilities in the United States have doubled since 2005 and the highest possible level of training is provided for all U.S. Passport Staff Adjudicators.

"Please don't hesitate to call my office for any information about new passport fees, any procedural, or requirement issues pertaining to obtaining a new or renewed U.S. Passport. We have a very experienced and highly trained staff and I'm proud of the service we are able to provide to the residents of Atlantic County", said County Clerk McGettigan.

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July 8, 2010

ATLANTIC COUNTY CLERK HONORS 101 GERTRUDE WATTERS... POSTHUMOUSLY
"Gertrude Watters Never Knew of a Time Without Love"

Since the day I was elected Atlantic County Clerk, I have been honored by the trust given to me. It is not only an honor but an experience. It has affected me, not only professionally, but in very personal ways as well. It has enriched my life.

The people I serve each and every day, along with my outstanding staff, have enriched and enlightened me. I am especially moved by the many wonderful people I've had the privilege of meeting personally over the years, both those who come into my office on a daily basis, and those I meet at the many different events and venues I attend. The personal contacts with the people I serve, are truly cherished moments and defines for me what public service is all about. It makes my opportunity to serve others, even more rewarding.

Everyone should have the honor of meeting a lady as elegant and memorable as "a" Gertrude K. Watters! One morning about 3 months ago my staff informed me that a "very sweet lady from Linwood" was at our Reception Counter with her daughter. When I came out to greet Gertrude and her daughter Marilyn, I was immediately taken by Gertrude's warm huge smile and her pure elegance. The twinkle in her eyes was a sign of a long, productive life and her sense of humor was as real and tangible as life itself. This beautiful young lady was dressed in a most fashionable, classy, and dignified manner and the meticulous attention paid to every detail of her attractive appearance was evident. Her smile, energy, and charisma completely lit up the office! Everyone in my office, even other customers being waited on at the counter, wanted to meet this 101 year "young" charming woman!

Gertrude's daughter Marilyn, brought her Mom in approximately 1 month prior to her 102nd Birthday which would have been Sunday May 16th. The mixed emotions of joy and sadness "hit me", as I thought of this loving daughter without her beloved Mom on Mother's Day 9th which was exactly one week before, what would have been, a big 102nd birthday bash! I'm sure that many of Gertrude's fellow church worshippers, family, and friends, took the opportunity of reminiscing last Sunday about Gertrude's love of the church, being a Sunday school teacher, playing organ at several Methodist Churches in Camden many years ago, and of course her humorous and optimistic attitude about life's many offerings.

My mixed emotions were caused by the happiness I'm sure Marilyn was feeling that she was blessed to have this loving person in her life for so many years, a genuine fortune that many others do not have, and the sadness that the birthday plans (including a lunchtime office celebration at the Clerk's Office), and Gertrude, were put to rest just a bit too short for all of the rest of us, who were touched by her kindness and smile, and selfishly and understandably did not want to let Gertrude leave. Somehow, I'm sure Marilyn felt like... "Mom will always be with me", and Marilyn, I'm sure that belief has not diminished one bit. When Gertrude came in for her Photo ID, I did not think that our new friendship would be so brief, but it did not make the impression she left on me and so many, others any less important.

Gertrude's daughter Marilyn wrote a beautiful and touching tribute for her Memorial Service called, "Memories". In it she wrote; "My father died at an early age leaving my mother and me alone to survive. Times were tough, money was tight, but our strong faith and never ending love got us through those hard times. My Mom was a strong hardworking woman who never knew the meaning of rest. She often worked seven days a week and did the house work at night. She had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh. She taught Sunday school, sang in church choirs, and was President of the Methodist Women's Committee. She always said that a good laugh was worth more than medicine. At 101, Mom still enjoyed going to church and love a good party and you would often hear Mom burst out laughing! Some people don't have any love in a home, for me I never knew a time when there was not love".

This is what makes life worthwhile and makes me appreciate the love of my own family and how precious they all are to me. Maybe Gertrude never knew, in the very short time I knew her, how much of an impression she made on me, and what an inspiration she was, just as my own parents were who taught me through their deeds, the importance and rewards of living life to its fullest with as much quality, giving, and sharing as possible. Simple acts of kindness often cause long and positive consequences. The simple act of Gertrude coming into the Atlantic County Clerk's Office for a Photo Identification Card, has inspired me to honor her with this tribute. A lot can be accomplished in the short amount of time we have but longevity has its place.

The world would be a much better place with more people like Gertrude in it. By: Ed McGettigan, County Clerk 2010

Post Script~ On Wednesday June 30, 2010;

At 1:00 PM today, County Clerk McGettigan hosted Gertrude's daughter Marilyn Watters of Linwood. Clerk McGettigan proceeded with the tribute he had planned previously for Gertrude scheduled for last May 16th on her 102nd Birthday. Ed McGettigan invited Marilyn and about 30 of her family members and friends, and some staff on their lunch breaks, for a brief but moving ceremony at the Historic Courthouse Building in Mays Landing. As the loved ones of the Watters family listened to the eloquent words of Ed McGettigan, he described Gertrude's love of life, and youthful energy and vigor, and her sharp wit and sense. He described their short friendship as a testament to the urgency of living life to its fullest, being thankful for every moment we have here on earth, telling our family and friends how much they mean to us, and never losing the gift of humor and compassion for others.

County Clerk McGettigan honored Gertrude Watters, with a photo and plaque on, now on permanent display, as the 1st recipient of" The Honoring of the Life and Contributions and Great Sacrifices of all Centenarians who visit us here at the Atlantic County Clerk's Office. To "borrow" a very appropriate description, Gertrude is the epitome of "The Greatest Generation" and it is our honor to memorialize them, either currently or posthumously. We will now be there for them, as they were for us. It is a small token of our deepest gratitude and appreciation.

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July, 2, 2010

MCDEVITT WRONG; AGAIN

I don't know what column Freeholder McDevitt was responding to in his letter to the editor (June 29, 2010). It certainly wasn't mine. If it was, he completely missed the point. His response that the taxpayers of Atlantic County should pay for the primary elections of political parties was totally irresponsible. He wants the tax payers to continue to foot the bill for irresponsible government.

My point was simple. Political parties should pay their own way and fund primary elections. Why should taxpayers, especially independent and unaffiliated voters foot the bill? Political parties should not be denied a voice, nor should they be denied the tab.

McDevitt thinks we should consolidate all three elections offices to save money, the County Clerk's Office, the Superintendent's Office, and the Board of Elections. The separation of those offices is defined by the State Constitution and is designed to provide checks and balances within the election system. McDevitt's comments on the Clerk's Office functions and staff were totally unfounded. The Clerk's Office is already cost effective. Since 2006 the Clerk's Office provided nearly $7 million in direct property tax relief while reducing the staff by 10 percent. That is the kind of public service that voters rightly expect in these harsh economic times. On the other hand, the Board of Freeholders has had no staff reductions. They have nine members each receiving generous salaries, State pensions and full health benefits, and all for very part time positions. It's time that he woke up and reduced his own numbers. Do we really need nine Freeholders?

McDevitt mentions the consolidation of elections, as if it is a new idea. I suggest he talks to his legislators. Both houses have considered legislation to consolidate elections.

McDevitt also expressed some concerns about too many polling places in some areas. That is a function of the Board of Elections, not the Clerk's Office. He should know that he is the one who ultimately approves the budget for the Board of Elections. Maybe he is not aware that those discussions should take place during the County budget reviews.

McDevitt also refers to the "tremendous enthusiasm" in the primary elections this year. Atlantic County primary elections saw a mere 7 percent turn-out! I don't think a 7 percent turnout indicates enthusiasm. There was virtually no interest. McDevitt is either completely out of touch with the electorate or in denial. It is time he looks to his own taxpayer funded position and acknowledge that it is not in the public's interest to ridicule credible suggestions to save tax payer money in order to get a newspaper headline just to bolster his faltering campaign for reelection.

McDevitt's lack of knowledge in the election process, his unwillingness to consider reform, and his blatant disregard for the tax paying public is continuing evidence that he is once again out of line and over his head in his public statements. It concerns me greatly that a person responsible for a total County budget over $200 million would make such irresponsible statements as McDevitt has done.

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June 23, 2010

PRIMARY ELECTION EXPENSES SHOULD END

Primary elections give the electorate very little bang for the buck. New Jersey's vastly expensive primary election process needs radical reform. Not only is the practice too expensive, it is fundamentally an unfair burden to those who are forced to pay the bill.

Municipalities all over Atlantic County and throughout the State are hard pressed to find ways to balance their budgets in hard economic times such as these. Many are forced to layoff police officers, firefighters, and teachers, raise property taxes, and cut community programs to balance their budgets and the economic forecast for next year remains grim.

Still, in spite of all of that, the same municipalities and their property tax payers have to foot the bill for Primary Elections, which are strictly political party elections. Primary Elections are a nominating process for political parties, not elections for public office. Candidates for public office are elected in the November General Elections, not in the June Primaries.

People who vote in Primary Elections are generally very small in number. Independents and voters who wish to remain unaffiliated cannot participate in Primary Elections. Those are the voters who constitute the majority of the electorate. Why should they share the cost? Even beyond that, why should people who just are simply not interested in voting in political party primaries share the cost?

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office closely monitors and works to minimize the cost of all elections. By current law the cost of the Primary Elections are divided amongst the municipalities. In Atlantic County the 2010 Primary Election printing costs for the Clerk's Office alone was in excess $100,000 for over 166,000 sample ballots, as well as machine front ballots, emergency, provisional and mail-in ballots. In last year's Primary Election that cost was over $115,000. Those costs do not include costs incurred by the Superintendent of Elections Department for postage for the sample ballots, the printing of the poll books, or for the dispatching over 300 voting machines to polling places in every town in the County. Likewise it does not include the cost of the Board of Elections for paying poll workers.

The question that should arise is does the Primary Election process contribute enough to the democratic process to warrant the expense? Is it worth it?

To answer that question we have to look at whether or not there are viable alternatives to Primary Elections, or at least, viable alternatives to spending tax payer dollars for the process.

There are. The political parties themselves could pay for their own Primary Elections. Then municipalities and their tax payers who do not wish to support political parties would not be subject to paying for the operation of partisan political party organizations.

If the members of a political party cannot financially sustain Primary Elections, then there are alternatives for them. There are ways political parties can nominate their candidates for the General Election without a Primary Election. They can nominate their candidates at caucuses as it is done in other states such as Iowa and Ohio or they can do in at their annual convention or reorganization meeting.

We have to recognize the new political realities. These days, especially with modern communications, the public is more prone to have less interest in partisan affiliation and participation in primaries. Over 55 per cent of Atlantic County voters were unaffiliated with either political party at the time of the last Primary Election. The turnout at that election was a mere 7 per cent in Atlantic County! Mail-in ballot participation was also a small fraction of what normally occurs in General Elections.

It is time to recognize that financing political party activity is not a public responsibility. Democracy does not belong to nor depend upon political parties, nor should it. The U.S. Constitution does not mention or provide for political parties.

The State of California has begun to take a hard look at their primary election process. A number of proposals have come forward there to overhaul their political system. A review of New Jersey's primary election process is also in order. New Jersey cannot afford the luxury of supporting partisan organizations with public money. Certainly, in our State's fiscal situation, nothing should be sacred, even if it means that the political parties may have to fend for themselves.

It is my hope that the Legislature will undertake a review of the Primary Election process and present an election law reform package that will relieve our towns and our tax payers of the growing expense of Primary Elections.

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June 15, 2010

2010 POSTER CONTEST WINNERS

Ed McGettigan presents awards for the poster contest winners,
1st place Mathew Marin and 3rd place Claire Tuohy.

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May 2, 2010

DIGITAL MAPS HELP BAIL OUT FLOODED NJ COUNTY

Record snowfall during the winter coupled with record rains in March produced record flooding throughout the Northeast, including Atlantic County, N.J.

"Countless numbers of homes were flooded," said Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan. "Places that had never been flooded before were hit."...

Click here to read the whole article at gnc.com

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April 22, 2010

FEMA DISASTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Ed McGettigan is helping FEMA where we can, distributing contact information and Supplying FEMA team members with Key Tax maps to assist operations.

Download the FEMA Disaster Contact Information form here.

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April 15, 2010

RECORDING SEMINAR

Ed McGettigan opens this years Recording Seminar, 4/13/2010.

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March 31, 2010

JOB SCAMS TO AVOID — PASS IT ON

After months of unemployment, work-at-home jobs can sound mighty tempting. Advertised on Internet job sites and in Penny Saver type newspapers, these jobs promise big money for little or no experience and allow you to work in your pajamas.

Sad to say, most of these ads are frightfully blatant scams; as are ads promising to help you get a job in the federal government or as a movie extra, mystery shopper or envelope stuffer. The Federal Trade Commission recently filed seven cases against the operators of such deceptive and illegal job and moneymaking scams (see list at the end of this blog).

As a result of this investigation, the FTC has partnered with Monster.com, Bing and Craigslist to help job seekers recognize scams before they cause trouble. Until this campaign gets into full swing, here are six job-scams to avoid, along with a list of specific companies facing FTC charges.

Rebate Processing
A 2009 Better Business Bureau warning detailed problems with work-from-home jobs processing rebates. The ads usually claim you can earn up to $1,000 a day without leaving the comfort of their home. The BBB received hundreds of complaints from victims nationwide who never earned a dime and were, in fact, ripped off for hundreds of dollars in upfront fees.
Cash and Product Forwarding
This scam turns your home into a staging post for stolen cash or good. You agree to receive money or items and forward them to your "employer" overseas. In reality, the products or cash are the proceeds of a fraud. The first time you realize it's a scam is when the cops come knocking in response to victim complaints.
Government Jobs
The ads claim to be actual listings for jobs with the post office or other government agencies. Apply and you'll learn the company is either selling info on taking application tests or charging you for access to job listings. In actual fact, you never have to pay for information about job vacancies for federal, state or local governments or the Postal Service. All jobs are publicly listed on their respective websites, at offices or advertised in local newspapers. For example, all federal jobs are listed on USAJobs.gov.
Pay to Work
These ads offer to find you work for a fee. While it's not illegal, a qualified agency will never charge money as they earn their fees from employers. Many times, you'll pay a fee and receive a useless list of places to apply, offers to polish your resume and/or for-fee coaching classes to pass entrance exams.
Work-at-home Schemes
Earn hundreds in the comfort of your home by stuffing envelopes, searching online, assembling parts, medical billing or craft work. The list goes on and on and the offers are almost without-fail bogus. For detailed information on these scams, read the Federal Trade Commissions publication on work-at-home schemes.
CraigsList Jobs
While CraigsList is an excellent clearinghouse for many things, it's become a swamp for job scams. Avoid listings that hide the employer's identity, include unrealistically high salaries, contain many misspellings and grammatical mistakes, require you pass a security clearance before applying, or ask you submit financial info (including bank account data, social-security number, etc.). Watch out for identical ads placed in numerous cities, as well. In how many cities can one employer use a personal assistant or nanny?

FTC Law Enforcement Actions

Government Careers
Government Careers claimed it could help people get postal, border patrol and wildlife jobs, as well as administrative support and clerical positions with the federal government.
Real Wealth
More than 100,000 people were conned into buying booklets that "explained" how they could earn money by applying for government grants and working from home.
Darling Angel Pin Creations
Darling advertised starter kits that would allow applicants to earn up to $500 per week assembling angel pins. Ad respondents paid between $22 and $45 to get started, and sometimes paid hundreds more for the supplies to make the pins.
Abili-Staff, Ltd.
Billing itself as a "scam free" and "legitimate" job-search service, Abili-Staff sold "pre-screened" lists of jobs consumers could access after paying a fee ranging from $29.98 to $89.99.
Entertainment Work
This bogus company markets memberships in a Web site allegedly listing movie-extra, television and print-media jobs. The defendants sold trial memberships for $19.95 to $24.95, and automatically converted those into annual memberships for an additional fee of $80.
Independent Marketing Exchange
These jerks claimed huge earnings for those accepting such work-at-home opportunities as envelope and postcard mailing and mystery-shopper opportunities.
Preferred Platinum Services Network
The husband-and-wife team who owned and operated this network allegedly marketed a work-from-home scheme in which consumers were told they could earn significant sums by labeling postcards describing a non-existent product called "mortgage accelerator."

The County Clerk will periodically post information that advises the public about scams. This list is a reprint found on the web at:

http://www.freeshipping.org/blog/gotcha-13-job-scams-to-avoid/

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March 22, 2010

COUNTY CLERK WARNS OF POSSIBLE MAIL FRAUD
AND SCAM ATTEMPTS IN ATLANTIC COUNTY

"Make Atlantic County Scam Free"

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan has received complaints from the public about a very official looking mailing being sent to the homes of Atlantic County residents from "alleged commercial companies" offering huge monetary prizes with printed material such as, "Commission of Registration", bogus seals and signatures, or "Prize Information Bureau (PIB), Las Vegas, NV or ANC Inc, Kansas City, Kansas.

The correspondence sent to a resident, boldly proclaimed this individual had a "confirmed winning verification" for the amount of two million dollars! It offered the recipient two "payment options". Payment Option #1: $66, 667 annually for 30 years (total $2,000,000.00) or Payment Option #2: A single lump sum certified check for $1,090,000.00. "One individual from Atlantic County received a notification of a cash prize totaling $3,276, 450.00 according to documents in my possession", said County Clerk Ed McGettigan. The letter in question requested payments $11.89 for an "Acquisition and Security Premium fee" and also a $20.00 payment transfer fee."

"My staff spoke to The Licensing Inspector's Office in Kansas City, Kansas and they could not confirm the filing, legitimacy, or authenticity of any company operating under this business name in Kansas City. This information was also transmitted to the Kansas Attorney General Consumer Affairs Division in Topeka. The office in Kansas asked if we would send a copy of this mailing for further investigation, which we will do, after we redact the resident's name from the mailing notice".

"My staff member also conducted a search to contact The Prize Information Bureau, or PIB, claiming they are from Las Vegas, Nevada and the search came up as "No Record Found". They simply use a post office box and neither mailing provided any phone number to actually speak to a representative or employee of these companies.

Additionally, added McGettigan "after we placed a call to 411 Nationwide Directory Assistance, the 411 Operator informed us that they could not locate any business listed under these company names".

Atlantic County Clerk McGettigan has a stern warning about these types of targeted mailings, e-mails scams, or unsolicited phone calls, offering "prizes" by asking for a payment first. "The old saying that, 'if it looks too good to be true, it usually is' applies here. We are asking the public to contact us directly if they receive mailings or other contact from these questionable companies so we can take the appropriate action to assist you. We would like you to send us the original or a copy of the letter causing you concern. We are even willing to pick these up from you personally in order to further help you", said McGettigan.

McGettigan has indicated that he has sent the results of his research to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety - Consumer Affairs Division and to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. "We urge all Atlantic County residents to please keep me informed if you receive any similar types of solicitations requesting payments and we will then respond personally to the resident with the results of our findings. I can be reached at (609) 625-4011 or at www.atlanticcountyclerk.org" said McGettigan.

"We are calling this initiative and service provided by our office,

"MAKE ATLANTIC COUNTY SCAM FREE", according to County Clerk McGettigan.

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March 16, 2010

PASSPORT DAY IN THE U.S.A. • SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010
BEFORE PROPOSED $35 FEE INCREASE THIS APRIL

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office is hosting a Passport Fair at the Historic Courthouse in Mays Landing and at the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township on Saturday March 27, 2010 from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm to process U.S. Passport Applications and to provide Passport and travel information. The U.S. Department of State has proposed significant fee increases that are expected to be implemented in April of 2010. The new proposed fees could potentially be increased by close to fifty percent. The current adult federal fee for a Passport Book would rise from $75.00 to $110.00 and fees for a minor would increase from $60.00 to $80.00. Passport Card fees will also be increased. Passport processing fees for first time applicants and minors are expected to remain the same at $25.00 per application. An exact date for the increase has not yet been determined.

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office will be joining the U.S. Department of State for "Passport Day in the USA" a Nationwide Passport Application Acceptance and Outreach Event. United States Citizens must present a U.S. Passport or other approved travel documents to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land and sea ports of entry. Information on the Passport costs and how to apply for a Passport Book and/or a Passport Card is available at www.atlanticcountyclerk.org or www.travel.state.gov.

Citizens may also obtain passport information by phone by calling the County Clerk's Office directly at (609) 625- 4011 or by calling the National Passport Information Center Toll-Free at 1-877-487-2778.

Event: Passport Day in the USA Passport Fair
Date: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Time: 10:00 am–3:00 pm
Where: ATLANTIC COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE
5901 Main Street Mays Landing, New Jersey 08330
THE SHORE MALL Black Horse Pike Egg Harbor Township, NJ

Both Locations 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM contact: (609) 625-4011 Option Number 4

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February 19, 2010

CLERK'S OFFICE BRINGS OLD MAPS INTO DIGITAL AGE

Municipalities Offered Shared Services

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan today announced the completion of a major project which included the scanning of over 8,700 Atlantic County maps into digital images.

"Most of the 8,700 maps are from previous years many are quite old, so it was good to be able to preserve them digitally and to provide the public with greater access to them," McGettigan said. "We receive around 200 maps a year usually for major and minor sub-divisions. Today when a new map is received it is recorded and scanned as part of our daily recording processing," he added.

Once a map is scanned into the County Clerk's NewVision Recording System it is available for viewing and printing on the Public access computers in the Clerk's Office. All maps are also available on the County Clerk's Web page www.atlanticcountyclerk.org as part of the Public Records on the Web.

"Having maps available on our system and on the web increases the accessibility of the information while protecting the condition of the original map," McGettigan said.

In conjunction with the internal project, McGettigan said that he has sent letters to all of the municipalities in Atlantic County asking them to forward their current tax maps to be scanned. The digital images of the municipal tax maps would then be available on a countywide basis as part of the Clerk's Office records base and would be accessible through the Atlantic County Clerk's webpage and through the public terminals at the Clerk's Office records room. The program adds no additional cost to the Clerk's Office records system.

"We are already setting up this program," McGettigan said. "This program should be ready in 60 to 90 days and we expect that municipalities will appreciate having this extra level of security by integrating their maps into our database as they expand the accessibility of those maps at the same time."

Unlike deed and mortgage documents, maps must be kept in their original form, forever. Reducing the day to day handling of maps will ensure that they are available in their current condition for generations to come.

McGettigan added that having the digital images available 24 by 7 on the web is a tremendous service to the public, real estate industry and engineering companies/agencies both public and private.

The earliest map we have in the Clerk's Office system is a Major sub-division from November 1, 1852. It is a map tracing referred to as Atlantic City, Absecon Beach. Today the Clerk's Office has over 8,700 maps in the map room and on its imaging system.

This project was completed by the current staff of the Clerk's Office without the use of overtime. The project took several years to complete and required great attention to detail as well as care in handling the oldest maps.

"We have taken every opportunity to continue to use technology to improve services to the residents of Atlantic County," McGettigan said, "This project provides a level of security for our documents and service to the public that creates and maintains a new standard of efficiency for the County Clerk's Office."

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January 31, 2010

DON WILLIAMS SHOW, 1400 AM RADIO

Atlantic County Clerk, Ed McGettigan hosted the Don Williams show, 1400 AM Radio, on Thursday 1-28-2010 from 8 AM to 9 AM.

Ed, spoke about the Clerk's office responsibilities and processes and took several questions on the phone from county residence.

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October 26, 2009

EVERY VOTE COUNTS

No one should be surprised to learn that close elections are more common than not these days. The New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate recently confirmed that with a comprehensive study of New Jersey elections and I would like to share some of their findings. They went so far as to identify eight elections in the last year where just one vote would have changed the outcome. Four of those elections were an absolute tie and the other four were decided by a single vote. They also identified 66 elections in the State last year where the margin of victory was less than one percent.

The data shows that close elections occur in some jurisdictions virtually every time voters go to the polls. And these thin margins of victory and defeat occur throughout the election calendar and in all regions of New Jersey. They affect general, primary, and nonpartisan elections such as municipal and school elections, candidates from both major political parties, public questions, and most of all the voters electing the officials who will serve them. Just a few people's decision to register to vote could have changed the outcome of many elections in New Jersey.

The results for a majority of elections are publicly known soon after the polls close on election day. Still, a substantial number of elections are close enough that they result in recounts or court challenges, with the results going unknown for weeks or sometimes even months. In November 2000, for example, the narrow margins separating the winning and defeated Presidential candidates in Florida (537 votes out of over 5.9 million cast) resulted in weeks of uncertainty, tension, and multiple court cases that were ultimately resolved by the United States Supreme Court. More recently, following the November 2008 Minnesota senatorial election between Al Franken and Norm Coleman, over 2.4 million votes were cast. The courts affirmed Franken's victory only after eight months of recounts and hearings.

It has been 27 years since New Jersey had such a close election for statewide office. In the 1981 general election, Thomas Kean defeated James Florio by 1,797 votes out of over 2.3 million votes cast, or 0.0759 percent. In that year, voters waited from the election on November 3, 1981, until the final recount report was issued on December 22, 1981, to learn election's ultimate outcome.

Voter turnout rates are always in the news after an election. The belief is that the more people who participate in an election the more the result will reflect the will of the people. Despite the near record levels of participation in the 2008 presidential election, out of an estimated total voting eligible population of 5,844,477 in New Jersey, only 66.9 percent of those voters actually cast ballots. While that did exceed the national average slightly, New Jersey ranked 19th overall in voter turnout in the country. Yes, New Jersey did fare better that the nation as a whole, but the data still shows that 1 in 3 eligible people in the State failed to cast a ballot even in that important presidential election.

The solutions are simple. Everyone who is eligible should register to vote and then actually vote... and they should participate in every election. That is why the Atlantic County Clerk's Office has joined the effort to promote voter participation, both at the polls and by mail-in ballots. Recent changes in election law have made voting by mail more attractive to voters by insuring that all voters are eligible to vote by mail, no reason needed, and by providing options for voters to receive ballots in upcoming elections without reapplying. Now, there is really no excuse not to vote. Voting by mail gives voters the opportunity not only to vote from home, but to vote in advance of election day.

New Jersey polls are open for 14 hours for general elections in the State (from 6 am to 8 pm). And, again, there is always the convenient, ability to vote by mail. Applications for mail in ballots are available on line at www.atlanticcountyclerk.org or by calling the Atlantic County Clerk's Office at 625-4011.

The prevalence of close elections throughout New Jersey reminds us how important it is to promote voter participation. The voting process is now easier and more accessible than ever. There is no longer any real excuse not to participate.

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September 8, 2009

NEWS RELEASE

A recent change in New Jersey law has changed the options for voting by mail. This office is no longer required to automatically send voters a "Vote by Mail" ballot application (formerly known as "absentee" ballot application) for every November General Election. Now, voters have the option to instead receive all future General Election ballots with just one application.

As a courtesy to voters who have previously requested automatic applications, we will be sending those voters a new Vote by Mail Application so that, if they wish, they can request all November General Election ballots, until they notify us to discontinue the service, or if in a four-year period they do not return a General Election ballot and do not respond to an inquiry from this office regarding those ballots.

The new Vote by Mail Applications should be arriving in the next few days to voters who have elected to automatically receive applications for November elections. Vote by Mail Applications are also available on-line at our website www.atlanticcountyclerk.org/forms.htm.

Voters will need separate applications to participate in other elections during the year, even though no further applications will be needed for all General Elections held in November. They can request those applications by calling our office at 609-625-4011 (Option 6 for the Elections Division) or by going on-line and printing an application.

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July 31, 2009

COMPLETION WITH HONORS PLAQUE

Click image to view slideshow

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July 11, 2009

JUDY LINK IS NEW JERSEY'S NEW PINELANDS COMMISSIONER

Click image to view slideshow

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June 22, 2009

COUNTY CLERK: RENTERS CAN AVOID DISPLACEMENT
WHEN OWNERS GO INTO FORECLOSURE

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan wants renters in the county to know that even though their landlord may be facing foreclosure that they have rights.

The economic downturn has brought many telephone calls to the County Clerk's Office regarding foreclosure issues. In response to that the Clerk recently held a seminar on what the public should know about foreclosure scams. Now, however, the focus has turned to tenants. McGettigan noted that many of the calls are from tenants who are concerned that they will be displaced if their landlords default on their mortgages.

"The most important thing for tenants to do when they are face with this problem," McGettigan said, "Is to continue paying the rent and to continue living by the rules of the community and by the terms of their lease."

"There is no question that there is a foreclosure crisis in America and there are many signs of it here in our area," he said. "And when a landlord is foreclosed upon lenders, real estate brokers and others frequently descend upon the tenants to remove them from the property. That's why this information is so important."

"I commend Ed McGettigan, Atlantic County Clerk for taking the initiative to arm citizens with the information they need to protect their rights in a foreclosure," said New Jersey Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen. "Tenants are too often left in the dark during foreclosure proceedings. Because of a lack of information, they can be taken advantage of by those who would rather vacate a building than honor their legal responsibility to retain existing tenants."

McGettigan advised that tenants who are concerned about foreclosure or displacement should call the New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate of Citizen Relations at 609-826-5070, Legal Services of New Jersey at 888-576-5529 or the New Jersey Tenant's Association at 201-342-3775 for help.

For legal assistance contact the Atlantic County Bar Association
http://www.atcobar.org/

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June 8, 2009

CLERK'S OFFICE FIGHTING FORECLOSURE SCAMS

Fighting Foreclosure Scams

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan announced today that his office will become more proactive in its fight against foreclosure scams. His office has been sending out information to borrowers who are facing possible foreclosure action to protect them from scammers, but according to McGettigan more action is needed.

"As soon as a lender files a lis pendens against a borrower's property indicating loan default we notify the homeowner and send current information about how to get help and what to do," McGettigan said, "But this is such a serious matter, we felt the need to go further so we are sponsoring community workshops along with South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. to give prospective scam victims direct, personal attention and information."

South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. has been actively involved in advocating for victims of the foreclosure crisis throughout the current economic recession. South Jersey Legal Services is a private, nonprofit law office that provides free legal assistance in civil law matters to eligible lower income households living within southern New Jersey, including Atlantic County.

Frequently, according to McGettigan, the homeowner in default is embarrassed and reluctant to seek help and they either do nothing, or worse, fall victim to scammers who wrongly advise them not to talk to their lenders or seek help elsewhere. That is especially true, he added, in the case of senior citizens who typically have the most home equity to lose.

"Sadly," McGettigan said, "The end result may be the loss of the home that may not have been necessary if appropriate action had been taken."

McGettigan said that there are many varieties of foreclosure scammers, some looking very legitimate. He said that the community workshop he plans is expected to expose the many varieties of schemes that homeowners fall prey to.

"Doing this jointly and in person with experts on hand from South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. will go a long way to help people who otherwise may not have known that help was even out there for them," he said. "We want everyone to know how to recognize the scammers and how to proceed once they do."

Ken Goldman, Assistant Director of Litigation of South Jersey Legal Services said, "We are extremely happy to receive the assistance of the Atlantic County Clerk on this tragic situation. It is important to address these matters as early as possible to avert financial disaster to unsuspecting seniors who are the most vulnerable. Their help could not have come at a better time."

It's best to defeat the foreclosure scam on the "front end" McGettigan says, before the damage is done but there is help as well for those who have already engaged a scammer.

"There are legal resources, website links, agencies, and plenty of realistic, good advice that we can offer to people facing foreclosure," McGettigan said.

The first workshop is scheduled to take place on Wednesday June 17 2009 at 10 AM at the Hamilton Township Public Library 2nd floor meeting room.

"This will be a pilot meeting," McGettigan said, "Should it be successful, we will continue to offer it in other locations across Atlantic County." This meeting is free to the public, however, to assure we have sufficient space available please call to register with our office by calling 609-625-4011 extn 5390.

For legal assistance contact the Atlantic County Bar Association
http://www.atcobar.org/

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June 3, 2009

COUNTY CLERK'S SERVICES SPARK INTEREST AT SHORE MALL

Shore Mall Grand Opening

Shoppers at Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township may have been surprised to see Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan and his staff processing passport applications and providing senior ID cards.

"It's all part of our newest outreach project," said McGettigan at yesterday's opening, "We're here to offer our services in a completely new and diverse setting thanks to the cooperation of the Egg Harbor Township Police Department, who allows us to share their space."

The Clerk's Office will be offering services such as passport applications and ID cards for seniors as well as notary public applications, trade name registration certificates and veterans vendor license applications and veteran military service records recording. The hours of operation will be Tuesdays, 10 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturdays, 10 AM to 2 PM, beginning June 2, 2009.

"Our first day at Shore Mall was a great success," McGettigan said, "We had an opportunity to introduce ourselves and our services to shoppers and passersby who will now know that they can mix a little business with pleasure if they have a need for our services or for general information."

"We are beginning this project as a pilot program which we anticipate will continue at least from now until the end of summer when we will analyze the success of the program to see what changes we can make to improve our ability to best deliver our services to the public," he added.

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COUNTY CLERK SERVICES COMING TO SHORE MALL

May 8, 2009

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan announced today that a broad range of services offered by the County Clerk's Office will be available soon at the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township. Those services include passport application processing, County ID cards, notary public applications, trade name registration certificates and veterans vendor license applications as well as veteran military service records.

The Clerk's Office will be offering their services with the cooperation of the Egg Harbor Township Police Department, who are providing space for the Clerk's Office operation at their location within the mall. The Shore Mall will be providing the space at not cost to Atlantic County. The hours of operation will be Tuesdays, 10 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturdays, 10 AM to 2 PM, beginning June 2, 2009.

"This program has been made possible by the cooperation of Mayor James 'Sonny' McCullough, Police Chief Blaze Catania and the management of Shore Mall," McGettigan said.

"This is going to be a great service for Atlantic County residents," McGettigan said, "The Shore Mall is a popular and easily accessible shopping destination which has ample parking and is served by public transportation."

McGettigan said that the Clerk's Office presence at the Shore Mall is part of his vision to continually broaden the reach of the office by the use of the most effective means, whether it be through his ongoing outreach program which brings County Clerk services to specific public events, the use of the internet for public records searches and information, or through this new venue of locating office services at a shopping mall.

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COUNTY CLERK, ED McGETTIGAN ATTENDS BAY FEST 2009

Bay Fest 2009

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COUNTY GOVERNMENT SCHOOL POSTER CONTEST

An annual statewide poster contest entitled "MY COUNTY" to promote "COUNTY GOVERNMENT WEEK" will be sponsored by the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey (COANJ). Locally this contest will be run by County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan, County Surrogate James A. Carney, and County Sheriff Frank Balles.

"This contest is open to all fourth grade students in the State of New Jersey. We are hoping and expecting, once again, for an enthusiastic and overwhelming response" said County Clerk McGettigan. "Our young students in Atlantic County are well known for their creative skills and their enthusiasm for all that Atlantic County has to offer," added McGettigan.

"We have sent contest details to all of our elementary schools. Traditionally, fourth graders study the 21 counties in the State of New Jersey, so we are specifically asking these students to participate in the contest. We are asking the children to create a poster which depicts something that is special and unique about Atlantic County or about the many services that Atlantic County Government provides to so many people", said McGettigan.

All entries received will be exhibited at the County Library in Mays Landing from May 3rd. – 9th. 2009. A winner will be selected by a panel of judges from each Constitutional Office. An Award Ceremony will be held for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners and honorable mention certificates will also be awarded.

Teachers, school officials, or parents who would like further information can contact the County Clerk's Office and ask for Terry Scardino at (609) 625-4011 extension 5248.

The Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey is an organization established in 1920 composed of County Clerks, Surrogates, Registers, and Sheriffs who are dedicated to maintaining the highest standard of service to their respective constituents and to foster new legislation that would be improve services and advance office technology and policy.

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COUNTY CLERK ED McGETTIGAN TO HOST "PASSPORT DAY IN THE U.S.A."

Atlantic County Clerk Ed Mcgettigan has been invited to host a United States Passport Fair at the County Clerk's Office in Mays Landing on Saturday March 28th, 2009 from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM.

"The Atlantic County Clerk's Office will be available on Saturday March 28th to individuals and families to accept U.S. Passport Applications and to provide updated information about new international travel requirements", said McGettigan.

"The County Clerk's Office is joining the U.S. Department of State in celebrating a National Passport Outreach Event called "Passport Day in the USA", added McGettigan.

On June 1, 2009, all United States Citizens must present a valid U.S. Passport or Passport Card to re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. This includes air, land, and sea travel.

These new stricter requirements are part of the W.H.T.I. (The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) requiring all travelers to present standard documentation to strengthen U.S. border security. This Act will also facilitate entry for U.S. citizens, and legitimate foreign visitors, to document and identify all travelers crossing over United States borders.

"I would also like the public to know that the U.S. Passport Agency's workload across the nation is starting to increase in anticipation of the new regulations, by individuals making travel plans for this spring and summer, and consequently, Passports are now taking longer to receive. The public should allow approximately 6 to 8 weeks for routine processing and about 2-3 weeks for expedited service. Please don't delay if you plan on applying for a Passport or have travel plans. The time it takes to receive your passport can vary depending on the State Department's work load and can change with very little notice. We have already seen an increase in the turn-around time", said County Clerk McGettigan.

The cost for a first time Passport is $100 for individuals 16 years of age and older ($75 for the U.S. State Department and $25 for the Atlantic County processing fee) and is valid for 10 years. The fee for minors 15 and younger is $85 ($60 for the State Department and $25 for the Atlantic County processing fee) and is valid for 5 years. Specific documentation is required such as original or certified birth certificates issued by Vital Statistics and separate fees for the U.S. State Department and the processing agent. Please make sure you bring in individual checks for each application that is processed. Any passport applicant can request expedited service which is an additional charge of $60 by the U.S. State Department. By paying this additional fee, the return time is normally cut in half. If you are renewing an expired adult 10 year passport, call our office or visit our web site to see if you are eligible for the mail-in form which will save you the $25 processing fee.

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office, in addition to their regular business hours, will be available for Passport processing on Saturday March 28th, 2009 from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM at the old historic courthouse building on Route 40 West, 5901 Main Street in Mays Landing. For further information about U.S. Passports, "National Passport Day", or other County Clerk Services you can visit www.atlanticcountyclerk.org or call (609) 625-4011 Option Number 4.

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News Release

Ed McGettigan, Atlantic County Clerk has announced today that his office has completed a massive project scanning paper documents into digital records. The records were deed and mortgage books dating from the year 2000 back to 1972. The scanned documents included nearly ten thousand books of approximately 720,000 documents comprised of 3,300,000 pages. The project required the re-indexing of each document in addition to scanning so that the images could be retrievable by the Clerk's Office land records management system.

According to McGettigan, the project was completed with cooperation of several organizations and encompassed leading edge software, telecommunications expertise, constant over site of local and remote staffs and working closely with the Atlantic County Clerk's Office staff. After approvals from New Jersey Department of Archives and Record Management (NJDARM) the project started in February 2008 and was completed February 2009.

With this process completed, the Clerk's office will be continuing its final verification of each document making the images available on the in house system and the internet. This verification process will continue for several years.

McGettigan said funding was provided by a grant from NJDARM under (PARIS) Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support Grants Program, and the project was completed under budget.

Amcad, a records management company, supplied the local staff for scanning and indexing and an additional remote staff for indexing.

To support the project, NewVision Systems developed and implemented a Backfile load and index application—the NewVision BackFill Module —for the County. The BackFill module integrated seamlessly with the Atlantic County Official Records database, allowing document images to be attached to indexes already in the database and to enable the creation of new indices as needed. The BackFill application is based on the Microsoft .Net platform and is part of the NewVision Next Generation (NG) suite of software products. In addition, NewVision supplied the expertise to allow secure access to the BackFill application by the remote staff.

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To all Public Record Web Users

From: Ed McGettigan

Re: Index Book List available in PDF on the Web

Hand written index books from 1837 thru 1972 are available on our web site. To help you find the index book you are looking for easier, we have added a master list of all index books available. The list includes a description, book and instrument number which will expedite your search to the book you need.

You may print the master list, free of charge, or download the PDF to your home computer. Below are the instructions;

⇒ From the PUBLIC SEARCH screen, click on 'Search Help'

Public Search

⇒ In the SEARCH HELP screen click on 'INDEX BOOK MASTER LIST'

Search Help

⇒ You may print one or all pages of the INDEX BOOK LIST, or download this document to your computer for future reference.

Index Book List

We hope you find this new feature useful.

Edward P. McGettigan
Atlantic County Clerk

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TO THE EDITOR:

Atlantic County officials have repeatedly cited a decline in revenue provided by the County Clerk's Office as a major reason for budgetary shortfalls. I feel it is important to clarify and correct the record where necessary.

The County administration projected 2008 revenues from the Clerk's Office based upon the 2007 revenues the office provided and consequently overstated their revenue projections for 2008. The result has been an inevitable budget shortfall.

County Clerk revenues are based upon realty transfer fees collected from property sales. Those projections did not account for a real estate market and values in a free-fall decline, nor did they account for the general decline in market share by the Atlantic City Casino industry and the resulting halt in casino acquisitions.

In the past two years there have been a number of property transactions involving casino and casino-related properties, each totally over $20 million. Six of those transactions occurred in 2007, including properties related to Harrah's acquisitions, the Revel properties, and other Atlantic City expansions in the Northeast Inlet. Those transactions alone totaled $202,720,260 and caused a difference in revenue provided to County government of $304,051. Those are obvious one time transactions which will not happen in the following year and should not be projected as budget revenue.

In addition, two anticipated, high value transactions never occurred. They were the Tropicana sale and the sale of the Trump Marina.

It should be noted that the County Clerk's Office is a major contributor to County revenue, providing millions of dollars per year to County as well as State budgets. While the revenue that the Clerk's Office provides is seldom mentioned, it also provides both indirect and direct property tax relief for Atlantic County homeowners. Since 2002, the legislation enabling realty transfer fee increases also mandated a percentage of those funds to be applied directly to property tax relief. That relief now totals approximately $13,000,000 just in Atlantic County.

I would also like to note that the administration also overstated the decline in Clerk's Office revenue by nearly half of a million dollars. The actual decline in the Clerk's Office contribution to County revenues was $ 2,100,000 down from the same ten month period last year and should be reduced somewhat in the last two months as additional revenues are collected. The fact is that the revenue has dropped the preceding two years by an average of $1,500,000 in each of those two years, reflecting the same trend we see today. Revenues projected by the County administration did not account for those declines in those years as well, nor did the projection for 2008 detect that multi-year trend, guaranteeing the budgetary shortfall we are experiencing today.

It should be made clear that the Atlantic County Clerk's Office is responsible for recording real estate transactions, not creating or controlling them, and we are subject to the peaks and valleys of the real estate market.

Ed McGettigan

Atlantic County Clerk
Mays Landing

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COUNTY CLERK OFFERS ANIMATED EXPLANATION
OF HOW TO VOTE BY MAIL

Mays Landing, NJ—Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan today announced that his office has released its second video regarding absentee ballots. The first video included information about how to fill out an absentee ballot application. The new offering includes a visual explanation of how to actually vote the ballot voters receive by mail.

"Too often voters are confused by the procedure," McGettigan said, "This video shows the voter exactly how to vote the absentee ballot they recieive and to handle the envelopes involved and return the ballot to the Board of Elections correctly.

"We want every vote to count," he added. "Frequently ballots are rejected by the Board of elections for technical procedural reasons regarding how the ballot was signed or assembled by the voter. This video makes the process easy."

"Once the voters see and hear the process laid out in front of them, those mistakes disappear," McGettigan continued.

Both editions of the video, the application process and the actual voting process, are now available at the County Clerk's website, www.atlanticcountyclerk.org. To view the new video, voters should click on the link Video-Vote Your Ballot at that website. To see the first video explaining how to apply for an absentee ballot, voters should click on Video-Vote By Mail.

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office has already issued well over 5,000 absentee ballots throughout the County and expects many more in the final days of the Presidential Election cycle.

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office is the first in the State to offer on-line videos on how to use the services it offers. New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells said that the Atlantic County Clerk's Office has raised the standards in the State for communications with the voting public. Clerk McGettigan said that future videos are planned to explain other functions of the office, including applying for a passport, applying for a business trade name, getting a County ID card, and many others.

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COUNTY CLERK PROMOTES EMAIL BALLOTS
TO MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS

Mays Landing, NJ—Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan today announced that his office is reaching out to Military and Overseas voters who wish to vote in the Presidential Election by offering new methods to cast their ballots. The Atlantic County Clerk's Office will accept applications for absentee ballots from overseas and military voters via email for the upcoming election. If the voter requests, ballots can be emailed back to the voter.

The voter would then print the ballot, vote it, scan it and return it via email to the Board of Elections to be counted. Voters would, however, have to sign a form to waive their right to privacy to vote via email. The absentee ballot application can be obtained anywhere in the world at www.fvap.gov and then could be emailed to the Atlantic County Clerk's Office at evote_request@aclink.org to be processed.

The New Jersey State Legislature recently provided for emailed ballots in response to a growing demand for the service, particularly in the military. The legislation continues to provide for voting by fax as well, although it is believed that fax machines are not as available as computers and scanners in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Fax requests will be accepted at 609-909-0147.

"This is a great opportunity to extend the services of our office as well as a convenient voting mechanism to to men and women in the armed services everywhere as well as American citizens living abroad," McGettigan said. "We are particularly gratified to be able to provide this service during this historic Presidential election so that all Atlantic County voters can participate no matter where they happen to be in the world."

McGettigan added that the system will be versatile. Military and Overseas voters could, for example request a ballot via email or fax and ask that a hard copy ballot be mailed to them to preserve their privacy, which would still expeditie the processing.

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ATLANTIC COUNTY CLERK RELEASES VIDEO –
ABSENTEE BALLOTS HIT YOU-TUBE

Mays Landing NJ – Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan today hosted a premier of sorts. It was the unveiling of a unique video which graphically explains the process of filling out an absentee ballot application.

Absentee ballots, which have been the source of controversy in Atlantic County in past elections, are frequently avoided by voters who would benefit by using them because voters fear the rejection of their application due to some technicality, according to McGettigan.

"This is a short, visual presentation which makes the process totally understandable in clear and simple terms," McGettigan said, "It is graphically interesting, holds the viewers attention and will serve to eliminate many application rejections."

"It is my hope," he added, "That this video will reduce the intimidation some voters feel regarding voting by mail and increase voter participation in all elections."

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office has distributed the video on DVD's throughout the State of New Jersey to various offices and institutions which are involved in the election process as well as media sources which could use the presentation as a public service announcement device. New Jersey is a vote by mail state which allows voters to use absentee ballots without having to provide a reason.

The idea of placing the video on You-Tube makes the information universal according to McGettigan.

"That way," he said, "the work of our office will benefit everyone in New Jersey and, once and for all, disperse the cloud surrounding the use of absentee ballots and bring more of the public into the election process. We will be able to reach vast numbers of potential voters through the internet."

Voting by mail is expected to increase in the upcoming Presidential Election according to McGettigan and the video instructions of absentee ballots will go a long way to reducing the number of rejections of applications for that election, as well as for future elections.

"Our intention is that every qualified voter has the opportunity to vote," he said, "and many times the best way to do that is to offer voting by mail. Now, that task will be seen for what it really is: an easy and convenient way to participate in elections with absolute confidence."

McGettigan said that when the video was previewed with State election officials from the Secretary of State's Office and the Attorney General's Office and the reaction was extremely favorable.

"They were immediately excited by the prospects that the video represents for the voting public and for the election process," he said.

"Many people may be surprised to learn that New Jersey offers a convenient vote by mail option using an absentee ballot. You do not need to be traveling out of state to use the absentee ballot, and you do not need to provide a reason for requesting one. It is just an easy way to vote prior to election day," said Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells. "I urge everyone, in Atlantic County and throughout the state, to take a few minutes to watch this video and learn about the process."

The You-Tube link can be found on the Atlantic County Clerk's webpage www.atlanticcountyclerk.org through the link named Vote by Mail Video.

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COUNTY CLERK MCGETTIGAN WARNS VOTERS
OF INTERNET REGISTRATION SCAM

MAYS LANDING, NJ – Atlantic County Clerk, Edward P. McGettigan, today alerted new potential voters about a website offering to register voters for a fee. IWantToVote.com offers online voter registration services for a fee of $9.95.

The internet company has potential voters complete a simple voter registration form, using personal information submitted to its website. Then, the company mails the form for your signature and the applicant must mail it to the State for processing. "Basically, this service fills out your voter registration form for $10.00. This fee is excessive and unnecessary since the County Clerk's Office and all other government entities provide voter registration forms at no cost," said McGettigan. New potential voters in Atlantic County may obtain a voter registration form, at anytime, at their convenience, directly from the Atlantic County Clerk's Office.

"This is a waste of money. No voter needs to pay ten dollars to a private internet company to register to vote. It is regretful that a company would charge unknowing new voters, especially those in our internet savvy student populations, by offering a simple form that exists at the Atlantic County Clerk's office for free," stated McGettigan.

Applications for voter registration can be obtained from the Atlantic County Clerk, the Atlantic County Superintendent of Elections, John Mooney, or from your local municipal clerk. New voters can also find a voter registration form, at no cost whatsoever, by visiting www.atlanticcountyclerk.org and going to the section labeled "forms." The registrant can print the form and send the hard copy in for processing, free of any charges or fees. The registration deadline to vote in the next election is 21 days prior to Election Day.

Clerk McGettigan, reminds citizens that, "Tuesday, October 14th is the last day to register to vote for the upcoming 2008 Presidential Election. To register, applicants must be U.S. citizens who will be 18 years of age and will have lived in the county where they intend to vote for 30 days prior Election Day."

New voters interested in obtaining a voter registration form in person may also visit the Atlantic County Clerk's Elections Office, located 5901 Main Street, Mays Landing or the Superintendent of Elections Office at 1333 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City.

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FOUR DAY WORK WEEK AT THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE

Ed McGettigan, Atlantic County Clerk today has announced that his office in Mays Landing will begin a pilot test starting July 7, 2008 where workers may volunteer to work four days rather then 5 days a week.

"With the continued increases in gasoline prices and not seeing any relief in the near future, I felt it was my duty to try something to save gas."

This change does not affect any service we provide. Our office hours will remain the same. However, my staff will have the opportunity to work a longer day, completing the same hours a week but working one day less.

Our test will run from July 7, 2008 thru August 1, 2008. At that time we will evaluate the effectiveness of the test and either extend it or go back to 5 days a week.

I know this is no a silver bullet, or something that will have a major impact on the use of gas. BUT IT IS SOMETHING.

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PASSPORT PHOTOS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE MAYS LANDING OFFICE!

Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan has announced the newly added convenience for those individuals and families applying for their Passports. We are now able to provide professional quality passport style photographs to any applicant in need of this service. This can be done at our main office in Mays Landing at a cost of $10 per set.

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AREA FOURTH GRADERS PROMOTE ATLANTIC COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN
POSTER CONTEST AWARD CEREMONY

Couty Clerk Ed McGettigan with the top 3 contest winners Top Three Winners Billy Potts, 1st Place

Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan has announced the winners of the Annual Atlantic County Constitutional Officer's Poster Contest.

Billy Potts, a Fourth Grade Student at the Dawes Avenue School in Somers Point, was awarded First Place Honors. The contest was sponsored by County Clerk Ed McGettigan, County Sheriff James McGettigan, and County Surrogate James Carney to observe County Government Week which ran from April 6, 2008 to April 12, 2008.

The Second Place Honor was presented to Genna Tatu, also from Dawes Avenue School, and Third Place Honors went to Emily Angello from St. Joseph's Elementary School in Hammonton. Atlantic County Clerk McGettigan presented plaques to the winners in an award ceremony at the County Library in Mays Landing on Friday April 11, 2008.

Fourth Graders from all over Atlantic County were invited to create posters which depicted the special and unique qualities about Atlantic County and how these qualities relate to the services provided by county government.

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COUNTY CLERK NOTIFIED OF U.S. PASSPORT FEE INCREASE
EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 2008

Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan was notified by the United States Department of State of a pending fee increase for the issuance of U.S. Passports effective February 1, 2008.

"It is my intention, especially in light of new federal laws which now require the possession of a U.S. Passport for many regions and territories in the Western Hemisphere, that all Atlantic County residents get an opportunity to save a few dollars before this increase goes into effect" said McGettigan.

The fee increase for a first time Passport is approximately three dollars. The fee will increase from $97 to $100 for individuals 16 and over. The fee for minors 15 and under will increase from $82 to $85. "These increases can certainly add up fast, especially for large families who all need passports" added McGettigan.

The fee for an Adult Passport Renewal by Mail (for those who are eligible for this process by using Form DS-82) will increase from $67 to $75, is the most significant fee change.

Call the County Clerk's Office at (609) 641-7867 for additional information.

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COUNTY CLERK McGETTIGAN WARNS OF LIKELY SCAM REGARDING
"DEED COPY LETTERS" SENT TO ATLANTIC COUNTY HOMEOWNERS

Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan warned residents last month of a potential scam involving residents being contacted by mail by a private company encouraging homeowners to purchase a certified copy of their property deed at an extremely exorbitant cost.

McGettigan was notified by letter from the Office of the Attorney General Division of Consumer Affairs about this situation.

Atlantic County Clerk McGettigan is now in possession of several letters from a company called "National Deed Service, Inc." from Washington, D.C. which has been sent to many homeowners in Atlantic County.

In the letter, homeowners are "encouraged" to purchase a certified copy of their property deed for $70 (Seventy Dollars) or more. The County Clerk would like the public to know that they can obtain a copy of their deed promptly and directly from the Atlantic County Clerk's Office, without the "assistance" of any private company for an average of $20 or less.

The County Clerk's Office spoke to the Washington, D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and was informed that there is no such Corporation registered in Washington. Phone calls made to this company have been answered by voice mail only. Additionally the Clerk's Office has found information on this private company's website which is misleading and incorrect.

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office has notified the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, The NJ Office of Consumer Protection, the County law Department and Division of Consumer Affairs about this situation.

Please contact the Atlantic County Clerk's Office if you receive one of these letters.

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CLERK IMPLEMENTS SHARED SERVICES TO MUNICIPALITIES
PUBLIC SAFETY, LAW OFFICIALS AND ENGINEERS OFFICES

Mays Landing NJ — Atlantic County Clerk Edward P. McGettigan announced today that all public records available on-line will be provided without charge to Atlantic County municipalities. Those records include all real estate transaction documents such as deeds and mortgages recorded at the County Clerk's Office as well as major and minor subdivision maps.

Property transaction records are useful to many municipal departments such as tax assessors and tax collectors. The records are also available to local public safety departments and law enforcement. Other County offices such as the Atlantic County Prosecutor and the Department of Regional Planning and Economic Development already share the Clerk's database.

"The Clerk's Office is pro-active in researching and developing technology that will benefit all governments in Atlantic County," McGettigan said. McGettigan pointed out that the Clerk's Office database with document images has already reduced the need for paper storage within the office and should have a similar effect on the municipal offices which store copies of these documents.

County Clerk McGettigan said that one very important benefits of his program for improving the technical infrastructure of the office is the ability to share services with local governments. He added that many of the improvements in the County Clerk's Office have been largely supported by public grants.

McGettigan said that sharing government services has become an important objective in New Jersey to offset rising property taxes on all levels. He added that he expected the Clerk's Office to continue to increase its ability to share services with local governments in the future as new applications are found.

"The free flow of information between departments and all levels of government is vital," McGettigan said, "Especially in a time when both increased speed and lowering costs are so critical to the safety and well being of our citizens."

Internet access to property records was recently offered commercially to Title Companies and financial institutions by the Clerk's Office. The Clerk's Office has been aggressively pursuing technology to reduce the need for paper copies and to improve access to the public. Those initiatives have included the implementation of computer systems to accommodate scanning documents, off-site electronic storage, and internet access as well as "electronic recording", a process for recording deeds and mortgages with the Clerk's Office via the internet.

Limited access to land documents is currently available to the general public at the Clerk's Office website, www.atlanticcountyclerk.org. The public can view the index and first pages of selected deeds or mortgages, but cannot access entire documents without first opening an account with the Clerk's Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: 609-641-7867

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COUNTY CLERK ED McGETTIGAN PUTS RECORDS ON-LINE

Atlantic County Clerk Ed McGettigan today announced the availability of real estate transaction records via the internet. Deeds, mortgages, and other transaction documents will be searchable and, if previously scanned, viewable and printable on home and office computers. The Clerk's Office has been scanning documents since March, 2000 and has begun a back-imaging program to scan older documents to make them available on the internet as well.

McGettigan said that a State grant, funded by fees collected by Clerk's Offices, known as the P.A.R.I.S. grants awards supported the project with a grant of $165,000 P.A.R.I.S. stands for the Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support grants program and has also funded the Clerk's Office's off-site, duplicate computer server. McGettigan added that the duplicate server not only provides for the immediate recovery of vital records of Atlantic County residents in case of a disaster, but also provides a safe site for internet viewing of those records.

"Since the public will be viewing records through a duplicate server and database, not the actual County records, tampering or ‘hacking' of the original records is not possible," McGettigan said. The duplicate server is updated on a daily basis with all new transactions.

He also indicated that the service is intended primarily for real estate professionals such as Title Searchers and others involved in the mortgage or credit industry. He said that the availability of the service should eventually have a dramatic effect on the banking industry as well as the general public by reducing the time it takes for mortgage settlements.

Currently, the general public can search the County's database index and view the first page of scanned documents at the County Clerk's website, www.atlanticcountyclerk.org. In order to view entire documents and print them from home or office, individuals or companies will be required to open an account with the Clerk's Office with a deposit of $500.00 from which copy charges will be deducted.

McGettigan added that there are other programs in the works which are funded by the P.A.R.I.S. grants, such as a pilot program currently underway for the E-recording (electronic recording) of deeds and mortgages by Title Companies, which not only increase efficiency and further reduce settlement times, but will ultimately lead to paperless real estate documents.

County Clerk McGettigan has made the use of technology for access and safety of public records a focus of his term in office which began on January 1, 2007.

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PASSPORT FACT SHEET

Please click here for a fact sheet of changes made to the U.S. Passport Requirement.

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