NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Elaine Flynn, an Old Bridge resident serving in her fifth term as the elected Middlesex County Clerk, will be speaking at the community room of the city’s public library, located at 60 Livingston Ave., on June 22 at 5pm.

“The meeting will commence with a lecture by Elaine Flynn, Middlesex County Clerk,” reads an announcement from the Friends of the Public Library.  The remarks will focus on the topic, “Elections: The Importance of Your Vote.”

“She will be focusing on the history, the process and the importance of voting,” the release reads, adding the lecture will be followed by the Friends’ “annual meeting,” including committee reports and elections of board members.

“The County Clerk plays a key role in the conduct of elections, processes applications for passports and performs wedding ceremonies,” reads the county’s website.

It also lists several other responsibilities:

  • swearing in and certifying notaries
  • filing of Trade Name Certificates
  • recording documents concerned with the purchase and sale of real estate
  • filing of military discharges
  • filing of sub-division maps, tideland and wetlands riparian aerial photos and the issuance of Veterans Peddlers Licenses.

Born in Perth Amboy, Flynn retired from her job as a teacher when she became the first woman ever elected as County Clerk in Middlesex County.  She won election to her fifth, five-year term in the 2015 election that she ran.

According to the county website, her office is responsible for “preparing all election ballots and certifying election results.”

“Under Elaine’s guidance, her office processes documents for county residents on behalf of many levels of federal, state and local government,” reads a profile on the government site.  “She acts on behalf of the United State Department of State accepting applications for passports as Passport Clerk and officiated over 3000 weddings.”

The County Clerk’s Office is responsible for recording and preserving all property transactions, 

She is the mother four children, including a Superior Court Judge, and ten grandchildren, along with her husband William, a former elected official himself.

William Flynn previously served as Mayor of Old Bridge, and as a member of the NJ State Assembly.

Their daughter Colleen was recently approved for tenure as a Superior Court Judge in Middlesex County.

State Senator Bob Smith was “highly instrumental” in Colleen Flynn’s initial appointment, she told the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 23.

Smith owned his support of the judge, saying he had no regrets and knew of no complaints against her.

In 2003 Flynn was inducted into the Perth Amboy High School Hall of Fame with an emphasis on public service and education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of New Jersey and a Master of Arts degree from Kean College (Honors). She was a teacher for twenty-seven years and retired from teaching when she was elected Middlesex County Clerk.

Elaine has modernized her entire department and brought them into the 21st century. Recording of documents can be handled by electronic filing and land searches may be done on line as a free service offered by the Middlesex County Clerk. Election results are posted on the County Clerk’s website as soon as they are available.

Elaine’s latest project to help citizens vote was a mass mailing to Middlesex County voters on Early Voting. Encouraging people to exercise their hard fought for right to vote has always been Elaine’s goal.

Flynn has served as Vice President of the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey (COANJ), .a delegate representative of NJAC (New Jersey Association of Counties), a Chair of the Old Bridge Zoning Board and Old Bridge Planning, a facilitator for National Drug Abuse Program, a volunteer for Raritan Bay Hospital Auxiliary, and a member of the following organizations:

  • IACREOT (International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers)
  • the Women’s Political Caucus
  • Kiwanis
  • Old Bridge Recreation Board

The website also says Flynn, a lifelong Democrat, was a delegate to the “Presidential National Convention” in 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.

“Elaine has served on the Middlesex County Children’s Commission for Health Insurance and was the Heart captain and a speaking facilitator for the American Heart Walk in 2000-2002, 2006-2007, and 2008,” it continues.  “Elaine continues to be actively involved with the American Heart Association as a survivor and is keenly involved in Crisis Management within her department and the entire county.”

The Friends of New Brunswick Free Public Library sponsor a wide variety of programs and activities including lectures, musical events, and book sales, according to the press release.

“They work with the library to improve services for everyone in the community. Our funding supports the Children’s library programs that engage the youth in the community who might not otherwise use the library.”

Editor at New Brunswick Today | 732-993-9697 | editor@newbrunswicktoday.com | Website

Charlie is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, and the winner of the Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Local Journalism. He is a proud Rutgers University journalism graduate, a community organizer, and a former independent candidate for mayor of New Brunswick.

Charlie is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, and the winner of the Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Local Journalism. He is a proud Rutgers University journalism graduate, a community organizer, and a former independent candidate for mayor of New Brunswick.