It’s Election Day in Montclair, and at some polling places, the day started off slow.
Maggie Joralemon, working the polls inside Montclair’s municipal building, told the Local that from 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., just 50 people had come to vote so far.
Kim Samantha Ramsey was one of those people. She has lived in Montclair before, then moved away. Two months ago she returned to Montclair.
“Whoever is going to take on Montclair right now has to maintain the fabric of Montclair,” she said, adding that she hoped affordability will be a focus of the new council.
Louise Giles, who lives close to the municipal building, was almost hit by a car while walking toward the building to vote. A gas leak near the building resulted in a closure of one side of the street.
Speaking about the candidates, Giles said she wished there were more At Large Council candidates running. “I’m just excited we’re bringing new people in. I’m voting for all new council members. The people before accomplished a lot of good things, but it’s just nice to have new leadership.”
Giles hopes the Lackawanna Plaza redevelopment project will move forward. She is also concerned about pedestrian safety. “I hope we have candidates that support Vision Zero and do more to make Montclair a more pedestrian-friendly town,” she added. She also wants the future council to support the diversity of Montclair including rights of LGBTQ people and people of color.
“I voted for Renee Baskerville. She’s just been so involved with Montclair for so long. I do trust and support her,” said Giles of her decision.
Joralemon said everyone needs to be aware of how important voting is today. “A small minority of people can determine the outcome of an entire election.”
10:30 a.m. Montclair Fire Headquarters
Poll workers at the Fire Headquarters and Glenfield Middle School also reported a slow morning. As of 10:30 a.m., a poll worker said they only had 15 or 16 people since they opened at 6 a.m. She speculated that people weren’t aware of the election. She said one lady came in and said “Oh my God. I forgot there was an election.”
Shani Stephens remembered to vote this morning. Her motto? “Vote now or complain later.”
The biggest issue for Stephens this election was “bringing Montclair back to what it used to be, which was a town full of people with harmony of all colors.”
Stephens mentioned candidates Aminah Toler and Renee Baskerville. “I trust my town in their hands. I know they are for the affordable housing. They are local people that have been here and they know the climate of the town. They know what it was and what it is now. I feel they want to bring old Montclair back.”
Hafiz Farid also voted at Montclair’s Fire Headquarters. He cited recent crime as motivating him to look for candidates who prioritized public safety. “I was just telling my neighbors that I just saw a police vehicle on Glenridge Avenue for the first time. I hardly ever see any patrolling.”
12 p.m. George Inness Annex
It was a similar slow start to the day at Montclair High School’s George Inness Annex. At noon, poll worker Gbemisola Adeniyi said less than 50 people had turned out to vote since the polls opened at 6 a.m.
“I think it’s probably time for new leadership,” said Dawn Fabbro, who voted with her daughter Chelsea at the Annex. “I’ve been in this community for like 38 years. Now we all need to move forward. I think it’s good, but it would be nice to have a little continuity or someone who has some experience and mix the two.”
“I felt like there were very few for mayor,” Fabbro added. “It’s an extremely difficult year. There’s just been a lot of commotion and dissatisfaction. I really applaud everyone who ran because it’s a challenging time to do it and it’s a big job.”
“One of the biggest issues concerning this election is what they will do with Lackawanna,” says 23-year-old Stephan Urquidi. “It’s been an ongoing project for years with a lot of push back. I think housing is an issue everywhere. I’m in favor of affordable housing. Getting that done is something I would really like to see from the new office.”
His mother Alison Urquidi agreed. “I also think getting Lackawanna Plaza resolved and built is critical. That neighborhood has been without a grocery store for a ridiculous number of years now. There needs to be a compromise and it needs to get done to provide a grocery store and some green space around it and a reasonable parking solution and get the housing built. Stop the NIMBYism and get on with it.”
“We’ve had big problems with contracts and lawsuits in recent years. There’s just so many things that have been festering. I’m really hoping the people I voted for will resolve them,” she added.
“I do think there’s been such a toxic environment created politically the last few years. A lot of good people are afraid to run because it’s so vicious. People getting attacked, issues getting attacked in a way that’s not a productive conversation. I think we would have even better candidates if we had more civil discourse.”
12:30 p.m. Hillside School
At Hillside School, voter Mary Kate Schmermund said she was impressed with the number of candidates who wanted to run and support the community.
“I really wanted unity and positive change,” she said. “It’s just a sense of a refresh in the midst of chaos locally and globally. And I just appreciate people’s dedication to local government. I wanted to be part of the process.”
Diane Gaylen saw a lot of positives in the group of candidates running and said it was a hard choice. Gaylen said she wanted somebody for mayor “who wasn’t a developer and wasn’t close to a developer. I want them to understand the issues of our diverse town.”
Denise Ford Sawadogo, owner of Montclair Brewery, voted at Hillside with her son Jordan.
“For me, the soft skills are very important. And making sure we have a councilor who can work with one another. I think with that, a lot of things can be accomplished. I think people kind of downplay how important it is being able to work with one another,” she said.
“Since we come from the brewery, I’d like to see laws that are easier for businesses to come to Montclair because it’s really hard as well dealing with advising boards and what not. I would like to see less restrictions,” said Jordan Sawadogo.
1:30 p.m. Edgemont School
“I voted today to be a good citizen,” said Joan Axelrod at Edgemont School. “I believe it’s the right thing to do. I want to make sure my voice is heard.”
2 p.m. Northeast Elementary School
By midday, Northeast Elementary School was bustling with voters. Poll workers told Montclair Local that by noon, 49 people had voted in District 8, 35 people in District 7 and 61 people in District 4.
Malika Shaw is a Montclair resident for over 20 years and a poll worker at Northeast. “I’m not tired yet, but I think I will be later,” Shaw said. “It’s been a long day! I think around five it will get busy here. There’s been no glitches as well.”
Paul Silverman, a voter from the First Ward, thought there was a good selection of candidates.
“We want a transparent and honest government that can keep taxes under control and operate in a fair and professional manner,” said Silverman. “Sometimes being an incumbent can also be beneficial because they have that experience, but fresh and new ideas are also great.”
Another voter wanted more choice.
“It seemed like there weren’t enough candidates. I was happy to see that Renee Baskerville was running again. I supported her in the last election as well, but in general it didn’t seem like we had enough engagement. I wish there were more choices,” said Cassie Hultin.
It is Ward 1 that does the most voting. Our voting percentages, as a town, are really poor.
I don’t know the historical numbers by Ward. But I imagine that the closure of streets around the town hall today due to PSE&G work didn’t help with the turnout.