Politics & Government

2023 Manchester Township Election Guide: Decision Day

The polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Here's a last look at the election races in Manchester before you vote.

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The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Check out our voter guide before you cast your ballot.
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Check out our voter guide before you cast your ballot. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)

MANCHESTER, NJ — The 2023 general election is upon us, and the polls open at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

If you chose to vote by mail, you have until 8 p.m. to turn in your ballot, using a secure drop box, mailing your ballot back or hand-delivering it to the Ocean County Board of Elections.

There are six candidates seeking three, three-year terms on the Manchester Township Board of Education. Candidate questionnaires are linked at the bottom of this article.

Find out what's happening in Manchesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Here is what you need to know about voting in Manchester Township:

The Rundown

Who Is On The Ballot?

Voters are being asked to choose candidates for the New Jersey State Legislature, Ocean County Board of Commissioners and local offices in 2023.

Find out what's happening in Manchesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

NJ Senate and Assembly

Manchester Township is in the 9th District. The candidates for state Senate, a four-year term, are Republican Carmen Amato and Democrat Gabriel Franco. Amato is the mayor of Berkeley Township. Franco is an attorney and works for a nonprofit.

The candidates for the two, two-year terms in the Assembly are Republicans Brian Rumpf and Gregory Myhre and Democrats Joseph Atura and Sarah "Sally" Collins. Rumpf is an incumbent who was elected to the Assembly in 2003. Myhre is the mayor of Stafford Township. Atura is a retired IT professional and public school teacher, and Collins is a teacher as well.

Ocean County Surrogate and Board of Commissioners

There is one three-year term available on the Board of Commissioners, as Joseph Vicari is retiring at the end of 2023 after more than 35 years on the board. Republican Frank Sadeghi and Democrat Roxanne L. Barnes are vying for the seat. Sadeghi is the founder of Morgan Engineering, a firm that provides municipal engineering services. Barnes is a pastor and founded Newlife Counseling Center, where she works as a professional substance abuse and anger management family counselor.

The Surrogate is a five-year term. The candidates are Republican Jeffrey W. Moran and Democrat Charles D. Bauer. Moran is the incumbent. He was appointed to the post in June 2003, and was elected in November 2003, then re-elected in 2008, 2013, and 2018. Bauer is an attorney in private practice in Toms River.

The duties of the Surrogate are mostly administrative. They provide for the administration of an estate, whether it be the process of admitting a will to probate or grant letters of administration to an appropriate person to carry on the duties of the decedent. Letters of Guardianship are also granted to persons for minor children who are awarded funds through a court or from an estate as well as guardians for mentally incapacitated persons. As Clerk of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Probate Part, the Surrogate's Court reviews and files adoptions, declaration of death actions, appointment of guardian for an incapacitated persons, trusteeships, conservatorship and accounts.

Manchester Township Council and Board of Education

There is a 1-year unexpired term on the council up for election, and Craig Wallis is running unopposed. Wallis was appointed to the seat vacated when Sam Fusaro resigned. Wallis had served on the council previously but had resigned in 2022.

There are three, three-year seats on the Board of Education. There are six candidates:

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