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As Newark residents prepare to vote on April 15 to fill three seats on the Board of Education election, Chalkbeat Newark has put together a guide so voters can learn more about the candidates.
The guide includes what each candidate says about who they are, where they stand on key issues, and why they should be elected.
In total, 11 candidates are running in this year’s election — a historic one, as it will be the first time 16- and 17-year-olds in the city and state vote in a local school board election. Each of the seats up for election has a three-year term.
The sole incumbent, Kanileah Anderson, is running on the “Moving Newark Schools Forward” slate with newcomers Louis Maisonave Jr. and David Daughety.
Returning candidate Ade’Kamil Kelly, on the “Prioritizing Newark’s Children” slate, is also running alongside two newcomers, Shana Melius and Nathanael Barthelemy.
Five other candidates are running independently, including Elaine Asyah Aquil, Dewayne Bush, Yolanda Johnson, Jordy Nivar, and Latoya Tucker-Jackson.
For voters planning to vote by mail, the deadline to apply for a main-in ballot is April 8 if applying by mail and April 14 if applying in person. (Vote by mail applications are available in English and Spanish.)
There’s also a deadline of April 15 — the day of the election — to submit the mail-in ballots by mail or in-person to the Essex County Board of Elections or at an authorized ballot drop box.
For voters planning to vote in person on April 15, polling locations are listed here in English and Spanish.
To better understand each candidate’s views on key issues, Chalkbeat Newark sent them a few questions, including two submitted by readers. All of the candidates responded except for Dewayne Bush.
Here’s what they said in their own words. Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length, not grammatical errors.
