Blessing Surprised by Vote Total

While she from the Board of Education election earlier this month, Jessica Blessing found 290 residents wanted to place her on the board.

Blessing, whose decision to withdraw came too late for Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi to remove her name from the ballot, indicated that she was leaving the race for family reasons. Rajoppi could not remove Blessing’s name since military and absentee ballots had been sent out and the voting machine ballot printed. She said she did not expect the vote total.

“I am very surprised by that, I really am,” Blessing said.

Blessing, the Lincoln School PTO co-president, said she heard from several friends that they voted for her since they knew her. She also said several people who had not heard of her withdrawal told her they voted for her in the election.

Blessing did say she did not vote for herself in the election.

In the event that Blessing had won a seat, she would have had the option of assuming the seat. If she had declined the seat, the BOE would then have appointed someone to serve a one-year term and a special election would be held in the April 2012 school election to fill the remaining two years on the term.

Blessing said that while she ended her campaign early this year, she plans to remain involved in the school system and said she will likely run again for the board in a future election.