Voters will cast ballots for one Township Council member and three school board members in uncontested races in the Nov. 3 general election.
Township Councilwoman Bonne Giglio is seeking election to fill an unexpired one-year term on the Lawrence Township Council. She was appointed to the Township Council in February, following the resignation of former Township Councilwoman Olympia I’Liou Perry in January. Perry’s term would have ended in December 2027.
Giglio, who is a Democrat, has lived in Lawrence Township since 2010 and has been active in local and county organizations for many years. She is the executive director of the Lawrence Township Education Foundation, which approves grant applications made by school district teachers and administrators. She also served on the Lawrence Township Recreation Advisory Committee.
Her community involvement has included the Mercer County Commission on the Status of Women and the Mercer County Federation of Democratic Women. She also has been involved with the Parent Teacher Organizations at her children’s schools, and with the MOMS Club of Lawrence Township.
When she was appointed to the Township Council earlier this year, Giglio said she wanted to bring her political experience, knowledge of Lawrence Township and community involvement to the governing body. She cited expanded recreational opportunities, greater interaction between volunteer committees and the Township Council, improved walkability and safe routes to schools among her priorities.
Over at the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education, two incumbents and a newcomer are seeking election to the school board. The term is for three years.
Incumbent school board members Michele Bowes and Arundel Clarke will be joined by newcomer Mark Elliott on the ballot.
Bowes has served on the school board since 2016. She is the board president and the chairman of the Negotiations Committee. She also serves on the Curriculum Instruction Assessment and Development Committee and the Finance Committee.
Clarke has served on the school board since 2021. He sits on the Personnel Committee and the Negotiations Committee, and is the liaison to Student Services.
Elliott is seeking election to the school board for the first time. He is running for the seat held by school board member Diana Pasculli, who is not seeking a second term.
Bowes said she is seeking reelection so that she can continue the work of seeing the district’s grade reconfiguration through to completion for the 2029-30 school year. The four elementary schools will become grades pre-K to 2 grade schools, and the Lawrence Intermediate School will become a grades 3-5 school. The Lawrence Middle School will become a grades 6-8 school.
Clarke said he is seeking another term because he has the pleasure of serving the school district through the $98 million bond referendum. Voters approved the bond referendum to pay for renovations and expansions to the middle school, as well as other improvements. He said he has interacted with people from all walks of life, and he would like to continue his growth with the district.
Elliott said the quality of the schools is the reason that he is running for a seat on the board. When a community’s school district increases the quality of education for all its students, the community benefits. Higher quality schools attract more families to the community. Schools are at the heart of every community and are essential for every community member’s future social and economic benefit.
Early voting ahead of the Nov. 3 general election will take place between Oct. 24 and Nov. 1. Voters may cast ballots at any one of seven early voting polling places in Mercer County. In Lawrence Township, it is the Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library System on the corner of East Darrah Lane and Brunswick Pike.
The hours for the early polling places are Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Nov. 3, the polling places in Lawrence Township will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Lawrence Township voters who wait until election day to cast their ballot.
