Every year the most notable on-the-record use of the First Amendment is included in candidates written in for various offices from president to school board member.
The freedom to type in anything from a legitimate choice to clear forms of protest or expression is recorded as a vote. This year had close to 300 people written in for the Board Of Education (BOE). These votes were important due to the fact that there were more seats open (three) than candidates (one) for the school board.
99 distinct write-ins were tallied for the BOE. Out of those, two emerged with the most votes by a wide margin from the rest – Marissa Falcon and Paul Santangelo. Both these residents ran a write-in campaign which propelled them to the lead. Maxine Padulsky received around 20 votes and Jeff Regan received around 17 votes. Mr. Regan ran unsuccessfully in 2016 for the school board and Ms. Padulsky was a candidate for first ward council last year. Both are currently listed as members of the Roselle Park Democratic Committee.
In the list of write-ins for the school board were votes for Baby Shark (link), former BOE candidate Agron Meshi, former BOE members James Damm along with Rodric Bowman, Jeanine Goodis, Abe (just Abe), and “No Writeins”.
Additionally, one vote was cast for Eugene Meola to be Mayor and two votes for Michael J. Ferguson. Second ward candidate Richard Graves was given a vote of support for United States Congressman and Jacob Magiera had one vote for second ward council along with “raylipan”.
While the county reviews all write-in votes to certify the results and make everything official, below is a listing of all write-in votes as submitted per ward and district.
| Board Of Education | TOTAL |
|---|---|
| Abe | 1 |
| Agron Meshi | 5 |
| Agronmeshi | 1 |
| Agron-Meshi | 4 |
| Aimee Bretones | 1 |
| Alex Para | 1 |
| Baby-Shark | 1 |
| Brenda Veiga | 1 |
| Brian Downey | 1 |
| Carl Pluchino | 1 |
| Clark Crawford | 1 |
| Damm | 1 |
| Dan Mcgovern | 1 |
| Dan Oconnel | 1 |
| Daniel B. Mcgovern | 3 |
| Daniel Smith | 2 |
| Dave Dumbass Paterno | 1 |
| Deniese Velasquez | 1 |
| Denis Carbale | 1 |
| Edward Kotwica | 1 |
| Elaine Weaver | 2 |
| Eric Estevez | 1 |
| Eugene Meola, Jr. | 1 |
| Falcon | 2 |
| Falconmiriam | 1 |
| Fred-Seidof | 1 |
| Hoffman | 1 |
| Jaclyn-Flatley | 1 |
| Jacob Magiera | 2 |
| James Damm | 10 |
| Jamesdamm | 1 |
| James-Damm | 1 |
| Jeanine Goodis | 1 |
| Jeaninf Goodis | 1 |
| Jeff Regan | 1 |
| Jeffery Regan | 1 |
| Jeffrey H Regan | 10 |
| Jeffrey Regan | 1 |
| Jeffrey-H-Regan | 4 |
| Jennife Smalley | 1 |
| Jennifer Haas | 1 |
| Jennifer Smalley | 1 |
| Jenny Lichtenwalner | 1 |
| Jessica-Johns | 2 |
| Jim Dam | 1 |
| Jim Damm | 1 |
| John Poulos | 3 |
| John-Poulos | 1 |
| John-Pqulos | 1 |
| Jonathan Rodriguez | 1 |
| Kathleen Smith | 1 |
| Lui Franco | 1 |
| Luis Franco | 2 |
| Luisfranco | 1 |
| Mabis-Lindo | 1 |
| Malone | 1 |
| Marisa Falcon | 2 |
| Marissa Falcon | 58 |
| Marissa Jane | 1 |
| Marissafalcon | 2 |
| Marissa-Falcon | 8 |
| Marisssa-Fallon | 1 |
| Marrissa Falcon | 1 |
| Matt Kolbe | 1 |
| Matthew Spatz | 1 |
| Maxine Padulsky | 12 |
| Maxine Padulsky- | 1 |
| Maxine Padvlski | 1 |
| Maxinepadulsky | 1 |
| Maxine-Padulsky | 5 |
| Melisa'Falco | 1 |
| Melissa Falcon | 1 |
| Melissa-Falcon | 4 |
| Michael Donoughue | 1 |
| Michael P. Donoughue | 1 |
| Michael-Seidof | 1 |
| Michelle Poulos | 2 |
| Morisa Falon | 1 |
| No Writeins | 1 |
| Pahl-Santangelo | 2 |
| Paul | 1 |
| Paul Anthony Santigalo | 1 |
| Paul Sant Angelo | 1 |
| Paul Santangelo | 43 |
| Paul Satangelo | 1 |
| Paulanthony | 1 |
| Paul-Anthony | 1 |
| Paulsantangelo | 3 |
| Paul-Santangelo | 11 |
| Robert Wayda | 1 |
| Rodric Bowman | 1 |
| Sal Saluccio | 1 |
| Salvatore Saluccio | 1 |
| Santangelo | 1 |
| Santngelo | 1 |
| Saul Qersdyn | 1 |
| Signorello | 1 |
| Silviaamado | 1 |
| Tom Roche | 1 |