Polls will open at 6 a.m. and stay that way until 8 p.m. Tuesday as borough voters get to decide who they want as their mayor the next four years and which of four men should fill two open seats on the Borough Council.
Incumbent Republican Mayor Bob Patten is trying for a second term as he faces Democrat Walter Sikorski, who joined Borough Council in 2003, in a race between two retired teachers.
Incumbent Democratic Councilmen Larry Quattrone and Dave Schneider are being challenged by GOP political newcomers Ron Niebo and Dave Keeler for two, three-
year terms (see story on 1A).
Voters in the borough and East Windsor also will be making their choices for:
three seats on the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders, a race pitting Democratic incumbents Ann Cannon, Elizabeth Maher Muoio and Pasquale "Pat" Colavita versus Republican challengers Ashley Hutchinson, Kim Taylor and Marjorie Hopwood;
Mercer County surrogate, a race between incumbent Democrat Diane Gerofsky and Republican Colette Coolbaugh;
A House of Representatives seat, with the major party candidates being bent Republican Chris Smith and Democratic challenger Carol Gay, and;
a U.S. Senate seat, with the major party candidates being Democrat Robert Menendez and Republican Thomas Kean Jr.
Voters also will be asked to vote on three public questions that could result in redirecting state funding without raising taxes.
If approved, the questions would allocate funding for property tax relief, transportation improvements and maintenance of the state’s wildlife areas, parks and historic sites.
The first question asks voters to approve or reject a constitutional amendment that would affect the use of the 1-cent increase in the sales tax that was approved earlier this year. If approved, half of the state’s revenue from the sales-
tax hike would be directed toward property tax.
A second question on the ballot would increase funding for state parks, a move that has been hailed by environmental groups across the state.
The final ballot question would increase funding from the motor fuels tax toward improvements to the state’s transportation system, including repairs to highways and mass transit.

