Newark’s school board election will be delayed until May 12 and will be a vote-by-mail-only election in an effort to protect voters and ensure fairness to candidates during this unprecedented public health crisis, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday.
Newark’s school board election was initially scheduled for April 21, but the continuing spread of the coronavirus in New Jersey prompted the governor to sign an Executive Order delaying the election for all districts that hold it in April. Many school districts several years ago moved their elections to November.
“As the coronavirus outbreak continues to unfold, we must take aggressive and swift action to help mitigate further spread and flatten the curve,” Murphy said. “My top priority is to keep New Jerseyans healthy and safe during this pandemic, and these new measures will ensure that all New Jersey voters are able to safely exercise their right to vote and be engaged in our democracy.”