Nearly 100 students from Great Oaks Legacy Charter School in Newark went to the polls to vote in the 2026 board of education election, a significant step forward in civics. The students marched to Newark City Hall where eligible 16, 17 and 18-year-old voters cast their mail-in ballots. The march followed months of student-led civic engagement through the school's student advocacy club. The event was described as a "proud moment" for the city and its residents, with Mayor Ras Baraka among those supporting the new voting age.