For the first time in recent history, voters in tiny East Newark would get the opportunity to vote for the candidates of their choice for the borough’s Board of Education.
But when sample ballots were mailed out for the March 12 special election, voters were met with a highly unusual sight — there would be no candidates to vote for on the ballot.
With no one having filed petitions to run for the two new board seats created, it all came down to write-in campaigns, and after the polls closed, the winners were Lisa Ditchkus and Midia Guerrero, both backed by Mayor Dina Grilo.
The candidate-less ballot came after voters had approved a local referendum last November to have school board members elected instead of appointed by the mayor, as well as expanding the board from seven to nine members.
The expansion of the board prompted the special election this month to fill in the two new seats, according to East Newark Superintendent Rosaura Bagolie. One seat was for a two-and-a-half year term, while another was for a one-and-a-half year term.
“We were told that we needed to give anyone an opportunity to be elected through a write-in ballot, so a write-in ballot occurred,” Bagolie said about the election moving forward even though there were no names on the ballot.
With only 80 ballots casted, Ditchkus was elected to the two-and-a-half year term with 60 votes, while Guerrero was elected to the one-and-a-half year term with 55 votes. The rest of the write-in candidates only had single-digit results.
Grilo, who was re-elected to a second term as mayor in November, had endorsed Ditchkus and Guerrero hours before the polls closed Tuesday, saying on Facebook that the two “can provide insight from the community the board serves.”
A week before the election, Grilo criticized the school district on Facebook over low teacher salaries, decreased enrollment and low student scores, although she didn’t mention that she had the power to appoint members to the board under the previous system.
“As a taxpayer and concerned resident, you must demand answers from the board president and vice president who are not transparent with trustees or residents,” Grilo wrote on March 4. “Put the children first!”
Grilo and Board of Education President Carla Fernandes did not respond for comment on the election Wednesday, while Ditchkus and Guerrero could not be reached for comment.
“I’m just really grateful that people came out and wrote in candidates who they felt would be great assets to our board,” Bagolie said. “I am always grateful when residents want to come out and serve their community on behalf of the children.”
The board currently is operating with six members after Trustee Tatiana Costa resigned in August, Bagolie said. Magaly Garnica was selected Tuesday night to fill in Costa’s seat.
The next election for the Board of Education is expected to take place in November.
