Asbury Park, who are you voting for?
Local, national issues to be tackled at polls tomorrow
When the city’s voters go to the polls tomorrow, they’ll be making decisions on the local, regional, state and national levels.
In addition to choosing a President, Vice President, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, County Clerk and two Freeholders, voters will also see the board of education election on their ballots in November this year for the first time.
The city’s voters will also be asked to vote on three public questions — two at the state level and one at the local level — and choose five members to serve on a local charter study commission, should it gain approval from a majority of the city’s electorate.
Some polling locations have been changed due to power outages caused by last week’s Hurricane Sandy. Click here to find out where you’ll be voting.
ASBURY PARK BOARD OF EDUCATION
Voters will be asked to select four new Board of Education [BOE] members at the polls tomorrow. Six are running for three full, three-year seats on the nine-member board.
Incumbents Barbara Lesinski, Geneva Smallwood and Sheila Brazile, and newcomers Christian Hall, Talesha Crank and Jessie M. Ricks are vying for the three available seats. The Asbury Park Sun completed profiles of most of the candidates before the process was interrupted by Hurricane Sandy. Click the names in bold to read profiles.
One unexpired one-year term is available as well. Incumbent Gerard Dalton is facing off against newcomer Qzeena Taylor for that spot on the board.
CHARTER STUDY COMMISSION
Voters will respond to a public question on whether the city should establish a charter study commission and pick five candidates to serve on the commission.
A charter study commission would scrutinize the city’s current form of government, and possibly recommend changes. Any recommended changes would be put to a citywide vote.
The charter study commission was first approved in May. Since then, interested residents campaigned and sought the requisite 100 signatures on their petitions for candidacy.
Five are running for the board’s five seats — Duanne “King” Small, Rita M. Marano, Randy Thompson, Pamela “Pam” Lamberton and Michele Maguire. Voters can also write in their own picks for the commission.
Even those who vote no on the establishment of the commission will have their votes for commissioners counted, according to sample ballots.
For the Sun’s full coverage of the Charter Study Commission from start to finish, click here.
COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS
Voters will pick two Monmouth County Freeholders — one with a full term and one with a one-year, unexpired term.
The five Freeholders are charged with preparing and adopting the county budget; authorizing expenditures and bonds; appointing county officials and members to boards, commissions and authorities; and supervising the administration of the county government.
Republican John P. Curley and Democrat William Shea are vying for the full, three-year term.
Incumbent Curley was sworn in to his first three-year term in January 2010. He served as director of the board this year after having served as deputy director in 2011.
Prior to his election as freeholder, Curley served as a councilman in Red Bank for more than five years, according to the county website. He grew up as a fourth-generation resident of Monmouth County in Shrewsbury, and currently lives in Middletown.
Democratic challenger Shea has been a New Jersey State Trooper for the past 10 years, according to his campaign website. He moved from Staten Island, N.Y., to Keansburg in 1989.
For a one-year unexpired term on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, Republican incumbent Serena DiMaso is facing off against Democrat Kevin Lavan.
DiMaso was sworn into an unexpired term on the board in January, and is the former mayor and deputy mayor of Holmdel Township. Lavan is the former mayor of Hazlet.
MONMOUTH COUNTY CLERK
The county clerk’s office is responsible for four divisions: records, passports, archives and elections, according to the county website. The Monmouth clerk has been responsible for maintaining a record of real property transfers in Monmouth County since 1675.
Incumbent M. Claire French has served as county clerk since 2002, according to the Monmouth Republicans website. Democratic challenger Michael Steinhorn is her challenger.
UNITED STATES SENATE
Eleven candidates are vying for a six-year term in the United States Senate, including incumbent Democrat Robert Menendez and Republican challenger Joe Kyrillos.
Nine candidates won nomination by petition, including American First candidate Inder “Andy” Soni; Libertarian candidate Kenneth R. Kaplan; Eugene Martin Lavergne; Reform Nation candidate Daryl Mikell Brooks; Socialist USA candidate Gregory Pason; Green Party candidate Ken Wolski; Responsibility Fairness Integrity candidate Robert “Turk” Turkavage; Jersey Strong Independents candidate Gwen Diakos; and Totally Independent Candidate candidate J. David Dranikoff.
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Six candidates are vying for a spot in the United States House of Representatives to represent the sixth congressional district, including incumbent Democrat Frank Pallone Jr. and Republican challenger Anna Little.
Four candidates won nomination by petition, including Reform party candidate Herbert L. Tarbous; Overthrow All Incumbents candidate Karen Zaletel; Revitialize American Economy candidate MacDara Lyden; and Libertarian candidate Len Flynn.
STATE PUBLIC QUESTION: BUILDING OUR FUTURE BOND ACT
Voters will be asked to choose “yes” or “no” on a public question on the Building Our Future Bond Act. The public question will be worded as follows:
Do you approve the “Building Our Future Bond Act”? This bond act authorizes the State to issue bonds in the aggregate principal amount of $750 million to provide matching grants to New JErsey’s colleges and universities. Money from the grants will be used to build, equip and expand higher education facilities for the purpose of increasing academic capacity.
The interpretive statement is as follows:
Approval of this act will allow the State to issue bonds in the total principal amount of $750 million. Proceeds from the bonds will be used to provide grants to New Jersey’s public and private colleges and universities to construct and equip higher education buildings to increase academic capacity.
Bond proceeds will be allocated as follows:
• $300 million for public research universities;
• $247.5 million for State colleges and other State universities;
• $150 million for county colleges; and
• $52.5 million for private institutions with an endowment of $1 billion or less.
Public and private colleges and universities which receive grants will be required to provide funds to support 25 percent of a project.
STATE PUBLIC QUESTION: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON JUSTICES’ AND JUDGES’ SALARIES
Voters will also be asked to choose “yes” or “no” on a state public question regarding a constitutional amendment which would allow contributions to be taken from justices’ and judges’ salaries for their employee benefits.
The public question is as follows:
Do you approve an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution, as agreed to by the Legislature, to allow contributions set by law to be taken from the salaries of Supreme Court Justices and Superior Court Judges for their employee benefits?
The interpretive statement is as follows:
This amendment clarifies the Legislature’s authority to pass laws requiring contributions be taken from the salaries of Supreme Court Justices and Superior Court Judges for their employee benefits. These benefits include their pension and health care coverage.
The amendment responds to a question raised in a 2011 lawsuit filed by a judge after the Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law P.L.2011, c.78. That law increased the contributions taken from current and future justices’ and judges’ salaries for their benefits, starting in October 2011. The lawsuit, which was appealed to the New JErsey Supreme Court, argued against taking the higher contributions from currently appointed justices and judges, citing language in the Constitution that their salaries cannot be reduced during their appointed terms.
The amendment clarifies that such contributions, set by law, may be taken from justices’ and judges’ salaries during their terms. It would also allow for hte higher contributions set by P.L.2011, c.78 to be deducted from current and future justices’ and judges’ salaries.
UNITED STATES PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
Voters will select a President and Vice President for a four-year term. Incumbent Democrats Barack Obama and running mate Joe Biden are being challenged by Republicans Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan.
Eight candidates won nomination by petition, including Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and running mate James P. Gray; Socialist Workers Party candidate James Harris and running mate Maura DeLuca; NJ Justice Party candidate Ross C. (Rocky) Anderson and running mate Luis J. Rodriguez; Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode and running mate Jim Clymer; American Third Position candidate Merlin Miller and running mate Harry Bertram; NSA Did 911 candidate Jeff Boss and running mate Bob Pasternak; Green Party candidate Jill Stein and running mate Cheri Honkala; and Socialism and Liberation candidate Peta Lindsay and running mate Yari Osorio.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow.