Which Sections of Toms River Came Out to Vote This Week?

Does a tendency to vote mean a certain district of a municipality shares certain traits – income, education level, race or ethnicity – or are they bound together by a particular political issue?

Or, perhaps, is it possible that it's just a coincidence?

While Ocean County as a whole participated in this week's elections at a rate of 44 percent, certain districts within each town had larger turnouts than others. This was true in Toms River.

The township's voting participation, on average, mirrored the county percentage, according to data made available by Ocean County. But some districts stood out.

The highest participation town-wide wasn't in an area strongly affected by Superstorm Sandy, where most would expect residents to be dealing with township government. Instead, District 43, located in the northwest corner of the township – near the Lakewood border – had the highest percentage of voters turn out, a staggering 64.09 percent, according to county data.

Neighboring districts also had high turnouts, including District 49, with 60.81 percent participation and districts 48 and 47 and 59 – also in the northwestern portion of the township – likewise had participation above 60 percent.

In recent months, some residents of streets in these areas – often home to sprawling lots and newer developments – have complained to the township council about property taxes following a reassessment. Whether tax rates drove voter participation is up for speculation, however.

Turnout was about average in sections of town hit by Superstorm Sandy, including beleaguered barrier island districts, whose residents were devastated by the storm but, for the most part, saw some relief after the tax reassessment following years of complaints about sky-high tax bills in the five-figure range, even for modest homes.

The two districts which make up the bayfront in the hard-hit Silverton section posted participation rates of 43 and 40 percent, and in East Dover, the bayfront districts hit the polls at a rate of 41 percent and 39 percent.

On the barrier island, the district covering the northern beaches had residents participate at a 43 percent rate and in Ortley Beach, 40 percent of voters cast ballots.