Election Day In Brick: When, Where To Vote

BRICK, NJ — Tuesday is Election Day, and while the 2020 General Election is being conducted primarily by mail in New Jersey and polling places have been reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still several options to make sure your vote is counted.

In Brick that includes using a secure drop box, hand-delivering it to the Ocean County Board of Elections, or hand-delivering your ballot to your polling place, or voting by provisional ballot at your polling location.

The Rundown

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Where can I drop off my ballot? The Ocean County Board of Elections, 129 Hooper Ave., will accept ballots until 8 p.m. Tuesday. Ballots can be dropped at any of the secure drop boxes until 8 p.m. Tuesday: Ocean County Ballot Drop-Box Locations 2020
• Where can I vote in person? A limited number of in-person polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. You can deliver your mail-in ballot to your polling place. For those with disabilities that prevent them from voting on paper ballots, ADA-compliant machines will be available. All other voters will be given a provisional ballot. Find your polling location: Nov. 3 Election Polling Locations For Brick
• Track my mail-in ballot.

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What And Who Are On The Ballot?

In Brick Township, the only local election is for the Board of Education. There are two, three-year seats being contested. The school board seats are unpaid, volunteer positions.

There are five candidates seeking those seats, including two who are running together.

Micah Bender and Melissa Parker are running under the Transparency and Community slogan. Michael Blandina is running under the Brick First slogan. Melissa Lozada is running under the Time for Change slogan, and Jessica Clayton is seeking a second term under the Fight for Funding slogan.

Four of the five candidates — Clayton, Blandina, Bender and Parker — spoke during a candidates forum conducted by the League of Women Voters of Southern Monmouth County and sponsored by the PTAs at Veterans Memorial Elementary and Middle schools. Watch the forum here.

All five candidates answered questions for Patch this summer. You can read their responses here: Brick Township School Board Election 2020: Meet The Candidates

Read more on the election race here: Brick School Board Election Enters Final Days

Here's a quick rundown of the choices that voters will be asked to make on a national, state and county level:

• Presidential race: Residents can either cast a write-in vote or choose, among the major parties, between Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, or Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris. Also running are: Don Blankenship/William Mohr (Constitution Party); Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (Green); Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (Libertarian); Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Party for Socialism and Liberation); Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (The Alliance Party) and Bill Hammons/Eric Bodenstab (Unity Party).
• U.S. Senate: One U.S. Senate seat will be contested: Incumbent Democrat Cory Booker will face several Republican, Green Party and independent challengers.
• U.S. House of Representatives: All 12 House seats in New Jersey are up for election, including the Third District, where Brick Township falls. The Third District race pits Democrat Andy Kim, the incumbent, against Republican David Richter, and two independents, Martin Weber of Barnegat and Robert Shapiro of Haddonfield. Read more: 3rd NJ Congressional District: Richter Challenges Kim
• Ocean County: There is one four-year term on the Board of Freeholders up for election. Incumbent Republican Joseph Vicari is being challenged by Democrat Helen Dela Cruz and by Libertarian Party candidate Dan Valentine. The County Clerk's race features Republican Scott Colabella vs. Democrat Kathy M. Russell.
• Marijuana legalization/Ballot questions: Voters will decide whether to legalize the possession and use of marijuana. Voters will also decide whether to makes peacetime veterans eligible to receive the veterans' property tax deduction.

For more coverage of the 2020 election in New Jersey, go here.

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