Election Day Draws Mixed Reactions at BCC

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Ryan Coluccio, Kasie Jacobs, Johnny Weaver, Staff Writers

Today (Nov. 2) New Jersey voters will determine who will be governor for the next four years. Will it be the Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy or the GOP challenger Jack Ciattarelli?
“I’m voting for Murphy. I fall along the line the same way he does,” said Riley Poss, a 19-year-old business administration major from Middletown on Election Day. “I think he gets a bad rep for saying he will increase taxes. He said that he would increase taxes for the rich, and Jack is twisting his words.”
“I’m voting for Jack because I share the same beliefs that he does. Freedom, family, and country first,” said Joe Lomangino, an 18-year-old business major from Marlboro. “From what I’ve seen Murphy isn’t big on those.”
But as of noon, not all Brookdale students seemed to know who they would vote for, when they would vote or if they would vote. Some admitted they didn’t know it was Election Day.
“Like Joe Biden or something like that, or Phil Murphy you know what I mean. Isn’t he the mayor,” said one 18-year-old student when asked who was on the ballot.
“The other guy, not Murphy, I’m going in a couple of hours,” said Jacob Sbarro, an 18-year-old business major from Middletown discussing his gubernatorial choice. “I know they stand for the elephant and the donkey.”
“Weed legalization, mask mandate, something with schools and their mask mandates as well,” said Ian Race, a 29-year-old finance major from Jackson, discussing election issues. “I don’t like either candidate, but I’m leaning toward Jack.”
“Education is really important to me, I don’t know how they feel about that but that is something that I always value when I consider who is voting,” said Anna Flood, an administrative assistant in the International Education Center.
Some Brookdalians have taken the time to research the candidates and the issues but still feel conflicted, noting that their opinions and values don’t exactly align with either candidate.
“I know a couple things on the ballot, governor, town council and senator. For some of them, like a town council, I know who I’m voting for. But for governor, I did some research and I’m split right down the middle on who to vote for,” said Clare Daley, an 18-year-old from Belmar.
“I’m voting for Jack because he will fix NJ better than what Phil Murphy’s doing, and he’s a Republican,” said one student. “I read a few articles, as should other people who are voting today.”