Democrat O'Neill elected Princeton Borough mayor

At 8:17 last night, Democratic mayoral candidate Joseph O'Neill got his first glimpse of the results of yesterday's election. Leaning in close to a chart mounted on the wall of the Triumph Brewing Company, he read a victory in district five, beating Green party candidate Steven Syrek 92 votes to 56.

Seconds later, he learned that in district one — which contains almost all of the roughly 1,000 University students registered to vote in the Borough — he had beaten his opponent 42 votes to 27.

All told, O'Neill, 70, won the election 1,016 votes to 426 as Borough Democrats won every election yesterday.

These results were essentially what O'Neill had expected — a low voter turnout because there were no statewide or national elections, an overwhelming Democratic victory and, perhaps most interestingly, a practically nonexistent influence exerted by the University community.

Though there are thousands of students who could be eligible to vote in local elections, only a small number of students actually register and then vote in the Princeton area. Evan Baehr '05, president of College Republicans and a pollworker yesterday, estimated that fewer than 25 students cast their votes in district one.

Some said the low student turnout was logical.

"I don't know why the students are voting," said poll worker Joshua Leinsdorf, who noted that local elections matter most to those who own houses and must pay property taxes.

However, campus leaders suggested that students should try to take an active role in local politics because Borough regulations can have a direct impact on student life.

"As adopted members of this community it is important for students to exercise their voice," said Owen Conroy '05, president of College Democrats. "Community policies effect students as much as those who have lived in this town for decade."

Many in local politics refer to undergraduates as merely "four-year visitors," Baehr said. Students don't understand the full influence the Borough can have because officials so far have shown restraint in enforcing many alcohol-related laws on the Street, he said.

In his campaign, Syrek said he went to every house in the Borough to talk to voters, though he realized how ineffective it would be to do so on campus.

"Trying to reach out to the student population would have been a waste of time," he said because so few of them are registered to vote here. Syrek said students come and go and therefore have little reason to be interested in local politics.

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When he takes office in January, O'Neill will focus first on the University Medical Center at Princeton, formerly the Princeton Medical Center. UMPC is currently considering relocating and the University has said it may purchase the land. The situation may require rezoning and other considerations by the Borough to run smoothly, O'Neill said.