Petitions for candidates running as a declared Democrat or Republican are due Monday afternoon, April 3rd, by 4 p.m.
For decades in Roselle Park, primaries have been nothing more than a formality since only one candidate from each of the two political parties has run unopposed. The primary, under usual circumstances in most other municipalities, has multiple candidates run and the one who gets the most votes becomes the candidate that runs in the general election.
To get one’s name on the primary ballot as a major political party candidate is not as difficult as would be expected in Roselle Park. Under the law, the number of signatures needed must be, at least, 5% of the total votes cast by the voters of that political party at the last preceding primary election at which a member of the General Assembly was elected, but not less than one (1) signature.
In the First Ward, for both Democrat and Republican, 5% of the total votes cast from each political party during the 2015 primary election is one (1). Therefore, only one signature is needed – and the signature of the candidate counts as a legal signature. Any registered Democrat or Republican can file a petition and sign as a signer. More signatures are not required but are not prohibited either.
For Council-At-Large, 5% of Democrats who voted in Primary Election in 2015 – the year that a member of the General Assembly was elected – came out to 10. This means that only ten (10) signatures would be needed on the petition for a registered Democrat running for the office of Council-At-Large. For Republicans, that number is four (4). In other words, only four (4) signatures are needed on the petition for a registered Republican wishing to run for Council-At-Large.
A candidate running for municipal office must:
- Be at least 18-years-old
- Be a registered member of their respective political party (Democrat or Republican)
- Be a resident of the borough for at least one year
The primary candidate that receives the most votes becomes the candidate for general election in November. The Primary Election is Tuesday, June 6th. The deadline for an Independent or a candidate from any political party other than Democrat or Republican is also June 6th.
Petitions are available at the Borough Clerk’s office today until 4:30 p.m. and Monday from 8:30 a.m. till the 4 p.m. deadline. Anyone requesting more information can call (908) 245-6222.