Longtime Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi Dies at 78

Joanne Rajoppi, who served as Union County Clerk for more than 30 years, has died at the age of 78.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners announced her passing in a press release Thursday, calling her "a devoted public servant who remained committed to her work and to the residents of Union County throughout her life." Rajoppi was a six-time recipient of the National Association of Counties Award for innovative government and computerization.

She served in leadership positions with state, national and international professional organizations and taught public administration at Rutgers University for nearly 20 years. Her office was cited by the National Passport Processing Center for outstanding efforts in processing passport applications. A major accomplishment Rajoppi was proud of was her whistle-blowing campaign against the voting machine company Union County and most other New Jersey counties used. She discovered serious discrepancies in the results from the Presidential Primary Election and June Primary of 2008 and immediately alerted other County Clerks, the NJ Department of State, and the voting machine company.

She called for an independent analysis of the machines by computer experts at Princeton University, which was eventually ordered by the Court. Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek, who has known Rajoppi for more than 45 years dating back to her campaign for mayor of Springfield, said: "Throughout all those years, Joanne was a constant presence in Union County government. She cared deeply about her work and the residents who relied on her office." Bodek noted that Rajoppi previously served as Union County Register of Deeds and Mortgages before becoming County Clerk.

The commissioners described Rajoppi as "a respected and fearless advocate for election integrity" who was "never afraid to raise difficult questions, challenge the status quo or stand her ground when she believed the public's trust was at stake." Union County Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded stated that "Joanne's legacy is also an important part of the history of women in public service," noting she "stepped forward at a time when women were not nearly as well represented in elected office."