Manchester Township Run-Off Election: What To Know

MANCHESTER, NJ — The special run-off election in Manchester for mayor and the two council seats is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Manchester is holding the run-off between Robert Hudak, the incumbent, and challenger Robert Arace because neither received 50 percent of the vote in the Nov. 8 election.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 13, at the same polling locations as the Nov. 8 election. Vote-by-mail ballots were sent to those who voted by mail in the general election.

The Rundown

• Election date: Dec. 13
• Where can I drop off my ballot?
• Track my mail-in ballot.
• Where can I vote in person?

Those who wish to vote by mail in the run-off election have until 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot in person at the Ocean County Clerk's office, 118 Washington St., Toms River, room 107.

Completed vote-by-mail ballots can be hand-delivered to the Ocean County Board of Elections, 129 Hooper Ave. or dropped off in one of four vote-by-mail drop boxes. They must be dropped off by 8 p.m. Dec. 13:

• Manchester Library - 21 Colonial Drive, Manchester
• Ocean County Parking Garage - 3rd Floor, Madison Avenue, Toms River
• Ocean County Courthouse - 118 Washington Street, Toms River
• Whiting Reading Center/Library - 400 Lacey Road, Suite 5, Whiting.

All drop boxes are accessible 24 hours a day, and all of them are subject to video surveillance and other security measures.

Those who plan to vote in person can confirm their polling location; the Manchester Township clerk's office said there are no changes to in-person polling sites from the general election.

The sample ballot for the run-off and additional information is on the Ocean County Clerk's election webpage.

In case you missed them, Patch sent questionnaires to the mayoral candidates. Here are their responses:

• Manchester Mayoral Election 2022: Robert Hudak
• Manchester Mayoral Election 2022: Robert Arace

The council candidates are:

Joan Brush, who is an incumbent councilwoman, and Timothy Poss. Brush and Poss are running on the ticket with Hudak. Incumbent Councilman Craig Wallis is not seeking re-election.

Running with Arace are Joseph T. Hankins and Roxanne Conniff. Hankins ran for council in 2021 but was defeated; Conniff was Arace's campaign manager in 2021.

Hudak is the incumbent; he defeated Arace in the 2021 election for the final year of the term vacated by now-Judge Ken Palmer. Hudak was elected to the council in 2019.

Arace has the backing of George Gilmore, who has regained the chairmanship of the Ocean County Republican Club after being forced to step down in 2019. Gilmore was convicted on federal charges of failing to pay over payroll taxes and fraud on a bank loan application; a pardon issued by then-President Donald Trump meant that Gilmore avoided jail time.

Development has been the dominant issue in the campaign, including allegations by Arace that Hudak was courting a developer to bring 4,000 homes to the Heritage Minerals site. That issue was discussed at the Nov. 14 Manchester Township Council meeting, with Hudak reiterating the terms of the 2004 settlement.

Arace accused Hudak and business administrator Brandon Umba of a lack of transparency over an informal meeting with a developer about the site. Umba said the developer was told 4,000 homes would be rejected, as the settlement is for 2,450 units, with age-restricted and low-income units as part of that figure.

"If a plan is not going to be approved, if it's not being properly introduced to the town, I can't go and then out the developer who came to the town and said 'I want to discuss something with you.' You're then putting the township into the potential of being sued," Umba said.

Read more here: $100K Pricetag Possible For Run-Off Election In Manchester

Have a comment, a question or a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com.