Help our Poll Workers on Election Day, November 4! :-)

The poll workers are facing a very long day this Tuesday, November 4. Let’s help them out by keeping them busy so their day goes by faster.

Mid-term elections have notorious low turnouts, typically around 40%. And because New Jersey, Senator C. Booker is running almost unopposed, many will not go vote, either surmising that their candidate has already won or doesn’t have a chance.

But that is a disservice to the candidates who work hard on the tickets below them, like the Florham Park Council. It’s especially a disservice to the residents, because while Senators may impact the number of troops in Afghanistan, Council people make the local decisions that impact how much you pay for sewer fees, in real estate taxes, and the durations between streets getting paved. And much more.

While all four Council candidates care about Florham Park, the Republican candidates are more of the same that saw the borough drop 58 places in just two years in NJ Monthly Magazine’s ranking of New Jersey’s Top Towns to Live In. Florham Park plummeted from #6 to #64. The two Democrats represent fresh ideas and energy to reverse the decline.

Peter Nicolas in particular has poured high energy in the community by voluntarily bringing in financial literacy lessons to more than 1,000 Florham Park students at no charge to the borough. He is working to share the lessons with hundreds more in Florham Park from grades K – 2, 3-5, and 6-8. He has done this in Brooklake Elementary, Ridgedale Middle, and in Holy Family Catholic school. His volunteerism extends to the Little Red Schoolhouse as the Lead Docent and the Membership Chair of the Florham Park Chapter of AARP and much more. Both he and his fellow Democrat, John Upton, have advanced degrees in education. Peter has his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson, and John has a Masters in Computer Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.

While I mention “Democrat” and “Republican”, at this level it is less about party, and much more about the qualifications of the individuals who can make a positive impact on the community.

This Tuesday, November 4, let’s make the poll workers happy by giving them plenty to do all day!