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 Thursday, describing her as "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 championed was her whistle-blowing campaign against a voting machine company used by Union County and most other New Jersey counties. She discovered serious discrepancies in the results from the Presidential Primary Election and June Primary of 2008 and immediately alerted other County Clerks, the New Jersey 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.

Rajoppi previously served as Union County Register of Deeds and Mortgages before becoming County Clerk. Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek, who has known her for more than 45 years dating back to her campaign for mayor of Springfield, stated: "It is difficult to imagine our county without her. She cared deeply about her work and the residents who relied on her office. She was smart, strong and determined."

The commissioners noted that Rajoppi was respected as a fearless advocate for election integrity who worked to strengthen election safeguards not only in Union County but across New Jersey. County Manager Ed Oatman said her loss "will be felt immediately throughout county government." Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded highlighted Rajoppi's significance for women in public service, noting she "stepped forward at a time when women were not nearly as well represented in elected office" and helped open doors for more women to serve in leadership positions.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy against official sources.

Produced with AI assistance and reviewed against source records.