In January 2024, the City of Newark passed an ordinance granting 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in school board elections.
Starting February 1, 2025, 16- and 17-year-olds can register to vote for the April 2025 and future school board elections.
The Youth Vote Ambassador Program is a nonpartisan effort effort to train and empower high school students to register and mobilize other young people to vote in Newark’s 2025 school board election.
Eligibility: You must currently be enrolled as a high school student in Newark to participate in this program.
Youth Vote Ambassadors will participate in three (3) virtual workshops.
Workshop 1: Our Vote, Our Power
January 22, 2025 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.):
What You Will Learn:
Workshop 2: School Board 101
January 22, 2025 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)Workshop 2: School Board 101
What You Will Learn:
Workshop 3: Youth Power at the Polls
January 24, 2025 (6 p.m.- 8 p.m.)
What You Will Learn:
After completing the workshops, Ambassadors will receive support to create and lead their own youth voter engagement initiatives in their high school.
Activities may include:
The Vote16 Teacher Champion Program is a nonpartisan effort to support high school teachers to prepare their students to register and vote in Newark’s 2025 school board election.
Eligibility: You must be an educator actively teaching at a high school in Newark to participate in this program.
Teacher Champions will participate in a virtual information session on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 (6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.).
At the information session, we will cover:
After attending the information session, Teacher Champions will lead initiatives to prepare their students to vote.
Activities may include:
Serving as the point person at their school for student questions about voting
Promoting voter awareness, education and registration via school announcements, assemblies, posters, etc., at their school
Hosting voter registration drives in their classroom or at a school site, during or after school between February 1 – March 25
Teaching a recommended civic engagement curriculum in their class and recruiting other 11th or 12th grade teachers at their school to teach the curriculum.
You need to register to vote by the voter registration deadline, which is on March 25, 2025 (21 days before the election)—online, in person, or by mail—just like adult voters. Find voter registration forms at County offices, City Hall, or your schools. To register online, click here.
Your driver’s license number (including a learner’s permit), a non-driver ID OR the last four digits of your Social Security number. Online registration will need a digital signature.
No, 16- and 17-year-olds can only vote in school board elections in Newark.
No, parental permission is not required to register or vote.
No, only U.S. citizens can register and vote in Newark’s school board elections.
No, you must be a Newark resident to vote in the school board election.
You’ll vote at the same polling places as adults. Use the Polling Place Search Tool to find your voting location.
Yes, anyone can apply for a vote-by-mail ballot! No special reason is needed. You can learn how to apply here.
Follow the instructions on your ballot. Use blue or black ink and fill in circles completely. If you’re voting by mail, you will need to buy stamps at your local post office because your ballot requires postage. Don’t forget to sign and seal your ballot properly before mailing it.
If it’s your first time voting, you can give the poll worker the last four digits of your Social Security number or bring ID (e.g., driver’s license number or a non-driver ID).
If you’re voting in person, you can ask a poll worker for a new ballot. If you’re voting by mail, contact your county clerk for a replacement.
You can track your vote-by-mail ballot online via the New Jersey Voter Information Portal. If you vote in person, your vote goes straight into the voting machine or ballot box, and it’s all taken care of right there—no tracking needed. If you’re ever worried about your in-person vote, you can always reach out to your county election office for help or call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
You can only vote in school board elections, and only in Newark. These elections are mostly about picking who will serve on the school board. Sometimes, there might also be other questions on the ballot, like referendums about school issues or budgets. If that happens, you’ll get to vote on those too.
Check your sample ballot, which will be mailed to you before the election. You can also visit Vote411, candidate websites or attend local candidate forums.
Voting gives you a voice in decisions that directly affect your education and community.
You can vote for policies and candidates that support the things that you think are important for your education and community, like better resources for schools or issues that directly impact you, like funding for sports, arts programs or mental health services at your school.
You’ll miss the chance to make your voice heard, but you can still vote in the next election. School board elections happen every year, and once you’re registered, you’re good to go unless you move or change your name.
No, voting is a right, not a requirement.
Yes! Voting locations have to accommodate all voters. Assistance at the polls, including language support, is available. You can call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for help.
Share information about registration deadlines, polling places, and why voting matters. Encourage them to register and vote with you!
Report what happened to a poll worker or call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
