Today - and in my next column - I plan to teach you how people steal Asbury Park elections.

Like most people in "pre-hanging-chad" America, I always believed that voting was a fairly straightforward, almost sacred process. You registered, you chose your candidates in the security of a private booth, and the machine delivered the winning totals at the end of the day. You may not always have liked the outcome, but the majority of voters ruled.

Then, about six years ago, I began paying attention to Asbury Park elections and realized that the process wasn't quite so straightforward. Not only were there dozens of ways to short-circuit the system, but it was devilishly hard to prevent.

As you probably know, my biggest lesson came from personal experience. On May 8, I almost had the city council election taken from me because my totals were wrongly reported in two voting districts.

So, in these next two columns, I'm going to help level the playing field by teaching you what I've learned about how people can undermine elections, both from personal experience and from talking to other candidates and city residents.

Then I'll tell you how to help ensure accuracy and honesty in our city elections, with advice from the Monmouth County Board of Elections.

First, however, you should know that Asbury Park has two major election types: city council and Board of Education. (There are also periodic recall elections, but more on that topic next week.)

There are five city council members, each serving four-year terms, and - in a somewhat non-intuitive system - all five of them are elected at the same time. (The next city council election is in May, 2005, so I hope you like us!) The council itself then selects the mayor and deputy mayor from among its members, and these positions typically go to the two highest vote-getters.

In addition, there are nine Board of Education members serving three-year terms, and three members are elected each year. Thus, on April 16, Asbury Park voters will go to the polls to fill three board seats. (Actually, this year's election may be delayed, because the state is late with its school budget figures. Check local newspapers for updates.)

Why should you care about Board of Education elections, particularly if you don't have children? The Asbury Park Board of Education commands a whopping $61 million budget, almost twice that of city hall.

But the board also impacts something more critical: the lives of over 3,300 children who represent Asbury Park's future - and present. These children, 60% of whom live in poverty, deserve a chance at success.

Unfortunately, as you've probably read, our three city grade schools ranked at the absolute bottom of the county's 91 schools on fourth-grade standardized tests - and in the bottom 1% to 7% in the entire state. In one school, only 6% of fourth graders exhibited proficiency in the state math test. Results were equally grim at the 8th and 11th grade levels.

What can you do? If you or someone you know is dedicated to children and has the right skills and experience, consider running for the Board of Education this year. There's no more important job.

The filing deadline is February 25 at 4 p.m., and you must be a registered Asbury Park voter who has lived in the city for at least one year. Visit the Board of Education business offices at 407 Lake Avenue (732-776-2606) for complete details and a nomination packet.

And, candidate or not, make sure you register to vote 30 days before the election (i.e., by mid-March) so that you can vote this spring. Registration forms are available from the city clerk's office in city hall (732-775-2100). Get one today - and take some to your friends, neighbors, and clubs.

Most importantly, go to the polls and vote. In a town with over 7,800 registered voters, last year's top Board of Education candidate received only 329 votes, and one candidate took office with a meager 205 votes. That means that only 4% of registered adults voted for the top Board candidate!

Now let's get down to the "Rules for Deceitful Campaigning," starting with the most childish.

Defacing other people's campaign materials is a pre-election pastime that rarely results in convictions. A few years ago, for example, a Board of Education team woke up on election day to find that their opponents had literally stolen every one of their campaign lawn signs during the night.

And, just last May, candidates Louise Murray and Billy Day hung some large and expensive campaign signs, only to find them slashed to pieces within 24 hours. (They eventually had to protect them with chicken wire.)

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ-ELEC) issues detailed rules for registering candidates, declaring donations, etc. and this could be a column in itself. Ensuring compliance, however, is a difficult job, requiring a formal citizen complaint and a lengthy investigation.

Following the 1996 city council election, for example, NJ-ELEC fined one successful Asbury Park candidate and his campaign manager $7,125 for campaign irregularities. (The process took more than a year.) The fine has not yet been paid - although the state Attorney General's office did place liens on the offenders' property - and the judgment did not affect the candidate's ability to serve.

Still, none of this falls into the make-or-break category for city elections. (Although it does say a lot about the candidate's integrity.)

In my next column, I'll get into the real election shenanigans, including ways to manipulate absentee ballots, buy votes, misrepresent recall petitions, and ecourage miscounts on voting machines.

Until then, please register to vote. Asbury Park is counting on you.