NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—City residents are slowly trickling into polling places this afternoon, but the turnout numbers appear to be on pace to surpass January’s total of 766.
Polls will remain open until 9 p.m. this evening in the city’s first regular school board election, which pits three incumbents against a coordinated campaign by three residents including a former board member.
Last November, voters narrowly decided to switch to an elected board of education. Â Previously, the city’s mayor appointed the entire board.
Voters who wish to confirm their registration or pin down can use this link or send a text message to 877877. Â Anyone who goes to a polling station that was not expecting them has a right to request a provisional ballot which will be counted if your registration is valid.
Polling locations open today are as follows:
- First Reformed Church, 9 Bayard Street
- Hungarian Heritage Center, 300 Somerset Street
- Lincoln School, 66 Bartlett Street
- Lord Stirling School (use George St. entrance), 100 Redmond Street
- New Brunswick Board of Education Gymnasium, 268 Baldwin Street
- New Brunswick Middle School (formerly New Brunswick High School), 1125 Livingston Avenue
- Providence Square Senior Housing Complex, 217 Somerset Street
- Public Works Garage, 400 Jersey Avenue
- Robeson & Schwartz Community Center, 7 Van Dyke Avenue
- Roosevelt School, 83 Livingston Avenue
- Senior Citizens Resource Center, 81 Huntington Street
- St. Mary of Mt. Virgin Church CYO Gymnasium, 190 Sandford Street
- Woodrow Wilson Elementary, 133 Tunison Road
Somewhat surprisingly, campaigns for both the challengers and incumbents are not highly visible at most polling locations. Â Rutgers student candidate Stephanie Rivera was seen alongside campaign volunteers drumming up the student vote at Brower Commons on College Avenue.
Meanwhile, Victor Ortiz, brother of incumbent candidate Benito Ortiz was observed checking the turnout numbers at St. Mary’s. Â As of 2:30 p.m., 71 votes had been cast at that location alone and the number has since climbed above 80.
In January, the St. Mary’s polling location drew 119 voters in total, making it the third most popular polling location.
As of 1 p.m. today, 44 people had voted at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, located in the neighborhood where incumbent Patricia Sadowski has lived for decades. Â A similar number had cast ballots at the Senior Citizen Resource Center on Huntington Street.
Woodrow Wilson was the most popular polling location in January with 124 ballots cast, followed by Lord Stirling Elementary School with 121.
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.
