Manchester Township Early Voting Underway For 2023 Election

MANCHESTER, NJ — Early voting has opened for the 2023 general election.

Manchester voters who want to cast their ballots in person early for the election can do so at 10 locations in Ocean County.

Early voting is Oct. 28-Nov. 5. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

The 10 early voting locations in Ocean County are as follows:

• MANCHESTER: Ocean County Library, 21 Colonial Dr., Manchester
• BERKELEY: Ocean County Library, 30 Station Rd., Bayville
• BRICK: Ocean County Library, 301 Chambersbridge Road, Brick
• JACKSON: Ocean County Library, 2 Jackson Drive, Jackson
• LACEY: Lacey Community Center Room C — formerly the Knights of Columbus building —15 E Lacey Road, Lacey
• LAKEWOOD: Municipal Building, in the Courtroom, 231 3rd St., Lakewood 08701
• LAVALLETTE: Upper Shores Library, 112 Jersey City Ave., Lavallette
• LITTLE EGG HARBOR: Ocean County Library, 290 Mathistown Road, Little Egg Harbor
• MANAHAWKIN: OC Southern Resource Center, Nutrition Hall, 179 S. Main St., Manahawkin
• TOMS RIVER: Ocean County Library, 101 Washington St., Toms River

If you don't want to vote early, you can vote in person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polling locations are open 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Not sure of your polling place? Search it on the NJ Division of Elections Polling Place search. All you need is your street address and ZIP code.

Vote-by-mail is still an option. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is Monday, Nov. 6 by 3 p.m. You must do so in person at the Ocean County Clerk's Office, 118 Washington St., Toms River. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7 or deposited into one of the 20 secure dropboxes around Ocean County.

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.

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:

• Manchester Township School Board Election 2023: Laura Wingler
• Manchester Township School Board Election 2023: Timothy Poss
• Manchester Township School Board Election 2023: Gloria Adkinson
• Manchester Township School Board Election 2023: Samuel M. Carollo
• Manchester Township School Board Election 2023: Gina Georgiano
• Manchester Township School Board Election 2023: Bozena Czekalski