Manchester Election Guide 2026: Who's On The Ballot, Where To Vote

MANCHESTER, NJ — It's Election Day 2026, with choices at the federal county and local level for voters to make.

The polls are open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

Manchester Township voters are being asked to make selections for the Manchester Township Board of Education, along with who will represent the town in the 4th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the Ocean County Board of Commissioners.

Here is a guide to who's on the ballot and when and where to vote in Manchester.

The Rundown

• Election date: Nov. 3. Polls are open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Check if you are registered to vote.
• Vote by mail: If you received a vote-by-mail ballot, there are 20 secure dropboxes around Ocean County where you can drop off your ballot. Ballots must be submitted by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
• Where can I vote in person? You can find your polling place here. Find out by entering your street address and town.

What And Who Are On The Ballot?

Manchester Township Mayor and Council: The mayor and council races are nonpartisan. Three candidates are seeking the four-year term as mayor: Kenneth Seda, Joseph T. Hankins and Mariah L. Prokop. Hankins was appointed mayor after Robert Arace stepped down to accept the seat on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, then won the remaining year of Arace's term. He is seeking his first full term. Seda ran for mayor against Arace in 2022. Prokop is a realtor with Defelice Realty Group and a lifelong Manchester resident.

There are two, three-year terms on the Manchester Township Council, and two candidates: Sandra L. Gravatt-Drake, who is seeking re-election, and Judith L. Noonan, who is seeking her first term on the Manchester council. She served on the council in Berkeley Township before moving to Manchester several years ago.

Manchester Township Board of Education: There are three, three-year terms up for election on the school board. Incumbents Laura Wingler and Gloria Adkinson are joined by PaulaAnn Fazio under the slogan Putting Kids First. They are opposed by incumbent Timothy Poss, who is running with Paula Nowakowski and Steven Giordano under the slogan Manchester Kids First.

Wingler and Adkinson are incumbents seeking re-election to the board. They and Fazio want to continue to prioritize student needs. Their campaign page is here.

Poss also is an incumbent who ran with Wingler and Adkinson three years ago. He has been severely criticized over his attendance record, for missing multiple school board meetings. He says he wants to see more accountability and responsibility to the district's students and taxpayers. The campaign page for Poss, Giordano and Nowakowski is here.

NJ 4th District Congressional Race: Republican Chris Smith is seeking his 24th term in the House of Representatives. Democrat Rachel Peace is seeking to unseat him. Read more: NJ's 4th District Congressional Race: Smith Vs. Peace

U.S. Senate: Democrat Cory Booker is seeking re-election to the Senate, where he has served since 2013. He is being challenged by Republican Justin Murphy, Veronica Fernandez running under the End The Corruption! slogan, and Joanne Kuniansky of the Socialist Workers Party.

Ocean County Board of Commissioners: Republican Frank Sadeghi is seeking his second three-year term on the board. He is being challenged by Democrat Kia Phua.