‘The 34’: Will Hoboken's Narrow Voter Margin Last Year Repeat In 2016?

HOBOKEN, NJ — In Hoboken, a mere 34 votes decided the local school board election last year. Will yours be one of 2016’s deciding votes?

In addition to the U.S. Presidential race and two state ballot questions, Hoboken voters will be asked to decide the victor in battles for the offices of Hoboken Board of Education, municipal officials stated in a Monday email.

Hoboken Board of Education candidates include:

• Jennifer A. Evans
• Sheillah Dallara
• Jessica Nelson
• Irene Sobolov
• Jennifer Rossini
• Francis Chipper Benway

Learn more about the Hoboken BOE candidates here.

Last year, only 34 votes separated the winners and losers in the Hoboken school board election, Councilman-at-Large Ravinder Bhalla reminded the local electorate.

“Only 34 votes,” Bhalla wrote. “For a year now, that number, 34, has stuck in my head.”

Bhalla said that he often thinks about how much of a difference a single vote can make in the outcome of an election.

“We often hear platitudes from politicians claiming that ‘every vote counts’ and ‘make your voice heard,’” Bhalla wrote. “But in this election for school board, it’s actually true. The results of last year’s election truly proves that every vote does count in local elections, and you have the ability to make a difference at the ballot box.”

In Hoboken, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling place online here.

See a sample ballot here.

After studying the 2016 Presidential Campaign, HHS students embraced the voting process with a mock election. pic.twitter.com/T7LKU8pjqt

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