“The state comes into existence for the sake of life, and continues to exist for the sake of good life”
Aristotle
Date & Times To Remember
Election Day
Tuesday November 2, 2021
6 am – 8 pm
In-Person Early Voting
Saturday Oct 23, 2021 – Sunday Oct 31, 2021
10 am – 8 pm
Poll Locations By County
New Jersey will open its first true statewide early voting period, with voters able to cast ballots in person on machines. Gov. Phil Murphy enacted a law mandating this system, which requires between three and 10 polling locations open daily in each county, depending on its population.
All counties have had to buy new voting equipment — including ballot printers, machines and electronic poll books — and are now setting them up and starting to train poll workers how to use them. An estimate from the New Jersey Association of Counties put the additional cost of this first year of early voting at $83 million. An excellent investment in guaranteeing access to the right to vote.
Vote By Mail
Steps, Links & Deadlines
Step One : Complete a Vote-by-Mail Ballot Application.
Then choose either
A. Mail it to your New Jersey County Clerk. If you mail it to your county clerk, a Vote By Mail Ballot will be mailed to your address.
Residents interested in voting by mail need to make sure their mailed-in application is received by Tuesday, Oct. 26 (no less than seven days before the election). Please note that once you apply for a Mail in Ballot, you will not be permitted to vote by machine at your polling place in the same election.
OR
B. Deliver your application to your New Jersey County Clerk. It will be processed and a ballot issued while you wait . You may choose to vote at the time you receive your ballot or take the ballot with you.
Step Two: How To Complete Your Ballot
1. Look inside the envelope you receive in the mail for these items:
The ballot
An inner envelope with an attached certificate
A mailing envelope
2. Completely fill in the oval next to each of your selections in blue or black ink.
3. Fill in and sign the certificate, keeping it attached to the inner envelope.
4. Place the ballot into the certificate envelope.
5. Then, place the certificate envelope into the mailing envelope.
Step Three Choose one of three ways to return your ballot:
Mail: It must be postmarked on or before 8:00 p.m. November 2 and be received by your county’s Board of Elections on or before November 8.
Secure Ballot Drop Box: Place it in one of your county’s secure ballot drop boxes by 8:00 p.m. on November 2. Secure Ballot Drop Box locations
Board of Elections Office: Deliver it in person to your county’s Board of Elections Office by 8:00 p.m. on November 2.
Step Four Track Your Ballot
You can check on the status of your vote-by-mail ballot using the Track My Ballot Portal online or you can contact your County Clerk.
First time users have to create an account and will need either a Voter ID, a Driver’s License Number, or the last 4 digits of their SSN Number to validate voter registration status. (If you don’t know your Voter ID number, you can obtain it by going to “Voter Search” or contact your Superintendent of Elections or Commissioner of Registration)
The Two New Jersey Statewide Ballot Proposals
Public Question #1: Allows wagering on postseason college sport competitions held in N.J. and competitions in which a N.J.-based college team participates.
The Assembly approved a resolution, SCR-133, asking voters if they want to allow gamblers to bet on college sports involving New Jersey teams, as well as any collegiate games played within the state. These are currently prohibited under the state’s three-year old sports betting law and would need voter approval. Public Television’s New Jersey Spotlight profiles the public’s opinion on this.
Public Question #2: Allows organizations to use raffle money to raise money for their own organization.
There are a multitude of organizations that use raffles in the state of New Jersey. Of these organizations, only veterans and senior citizen organizations are allowed to use proceeds from bingo or raffles to support their groups. The other organizations are prohibited from doing so. This would change that limitation.
The League of Women Voters of NJ has done an extensive analysis on the two public questions with reasons to vote “yes” and reasons to vote “no”.
Individualized Election Information
The League of Women Voters Education Fund is a national resource of voter information customized to your exact location. It includes information provided by all candidates for local, state and national races. Divisive politics have entered school board decisions , and it’s important to know where your school candidates stand. Use their resource before entering the polls. https://www.vote411.org
New Jersey Candidates
Governor
Democrat: Phil Murphy
Republican: Jack Ciattarelli
New Jersey’s contest, which along with Virginia’s is one of just two governor’s races in the country before next year’s midterm elections, is seen by some as an early barometer of voter sentiment. The New Jersey governor election is one of the first statewide contests to measure how voters feel about strict coronavirus mandates. As of today, Oct 13, Gov. Phil Murphy has picked up the first newspaper endorsement of the 2021 governor’s race, winning the backing of the New York Daily News. Jack Ciattarelli has yet to receive a newspaper endorsement.
The last debate between these two candidates was Tuesday October 13. They fought over COVID masks, school funding, abortion, and white privilege. Another heated argument involved the state budget. Ciattarelli has attacked Murphy for adding $11 billion in state spending over the last four years. And Ciattarelli has vowed to cut $10 billion in spending and reduce property taxes by revamping the state school funding formula.
Lieutenant Governor
Democrat: Sheila Oliver
Republican: Diane Allen
The only debate between these two candidates was Tuesday October 5. The two women seeking to be New Jersey’s lieutenant governor made the policy differences of their tickets clear. They disagreed on issues ranging from vaccine mandates to gun control. Another topic over which they sparred was the Murphy administration’s record on women. Both candidates said they support the bipartisan infrastructure deal, but disagreed over the larger spending package that Democrats are currently debating in Washington, with Oliver in favor of spending more on “human infrastructure” like programs for expanded child and day care.
There are other candidates for these two executive offices that represent the Green, Liberal and Socialist Work Parties .
New Jersey State Senate and Assembly Races
The New Jersey Senate has 40 members, and the New Jersey General Assembly has 80 members. One Senator and two Assembly Members will be elected from each of the 40 districts of New Jersey. Assembly members hold two year terms, while Senators hold four year terms.
These are the legislative districts profiled in the last Primary Post. If your district is not listed below, check who is running in your State Senate and Assembly races. Research what candidate(s) support your values and concerns. Become involved with their political campaigns and donate, volunteer and support in any way you can.
State Senate Races: Voters pick 1
Assembly Races: Voters pick 2
District 2
State Senate
Democrat: Vincent Mazzeo
Republican: Vincent Polistina (defeated one conservative Republican candidate)
State Assembly
Democrats John Armato & Caren Fitzpatrick
Republicans Don Guardian & Clair Swift
District 10
State Senate
Democrat: Emma Mammano
Republican: James Holzapfel
State Assembly
Democrats: Garitt Tony Kono & Mary Sharon Quilter
Republican: John Catalano & Gregory McGuckin (Defeated two conservative Republican candidates)
District 16 For friends and family:
These are the general election candidates for both the Assembly and Senate
in the 16th District, which spans parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties.
State Senate
Democrat: Andrew Zwicker
Republican: Mike Pappas
Note: Mike Pappas defeated Conservative Republican Jeffrey Grant in the Republican Primary.
According to Grant’s website, he gained the following Republican votes in District 16:
Hunterdon County 1,753 votes 40%
Middlesex County 425 votes 46%
Mercer County 219 votes 63%
Somerset County 1,632 votes 30%
Total: 4,029 votes 36%
State Assembly
Democrats: Roy Freiman & Sadaf Jaffer
Republicans: Joseph Lukac & Vincent Panico
District 18
State Senate
Democrat: Patrick Diegnan Jr.
Republican: Vihal Patel
State Assembly
Democrats: Robert Karabinchak & Sterley Stanley
Republicans: Angela Fam & Melanie McCann Mott
District 20
State Senate
Democrat: Joseph Cryan
Republican: None
State Assembly
Democrats: Annette Quijano & Reginald Atkins
Republicans: None
District 21
State Senate
Democrat: Joseph Signorello
Republican: Jon Bramnick
State Assembly
Democrats: Elizabeth Graner & Anjali Mehrotra
Republican: Nancy Munoz & Michele Matsikoudis
District 26
State Senate
Democrat: Christine Clarke
Republican: Joseph Pennachio
State Assembly
Democrats: Melissa Brown Blaeuer & Pamela Fadden
Republicans: Jay Weber & Christian Barranco
District 30
State Senate
Democrat: Dan Stinger
Republican: Robert Singer
State Assembly
Democrats: Stephen Dobbins & Matthew Filosa
Republicans: Sean Kean & Edward Thomson
District 37
State Senate
Democrat: Gordon Johnson
Republican: Michael Koontz
State Assembly
Democrats: Shama Haider & Ellen Park
Republicans: Edward Durfee & Perley Patrick
Local Elections
For friends and family:
There are the general election candidates for specific areas of Hunterdon County
If you don’t live in Hunterdon County, find out which candidates are running in your County’s Board of Elections. Some websites will list all candidates, while others will provide pdfs of your actual ballot. Research what candidate(s) support your values and concerns. Become involved with their political campaigns and donate, volunteer and support in any way you can.
Hunterdon County
County Clerk (vote for 1)
Democrat: None
Republican: Mary Melfi
Board of County Commissioners (vote for 2)
Democrats: Patrick Heller, Mark Pomykacz
Republicans: J. Matthew Holt, Susan Soloway
Clinton Town
Common Council (vote for 2)
Democrats: John Kashwick, Sherry Dineen
Republicans: Nicholas Bruno, Kyle Perloff
Clinton Township
Council (vote for 2)
Democrats: None
Republicans:Tom Kochanowksi, Marc Strauss
Council (vote for 1)
Democrat: None
Republican: William Glaser Jr. I could not find any information about this candidate.
An opinion about the lock the present Republicans have on Clinton Township.
Flemington Borough
Council (vote for 2)
Democrats: Caitlin Giles McCormick, Elizabeth Rosetti
Republican: Alan Brewer, Betty Jane Czap
Lambertville
Mayor (vote for 1)
Democrat: Andrew Nowick – I highly recommend this exceptional candidate whom I’ve known for many years as a brilliant, compassionate and outstanding problem solver.
Independent: Michael Menche
Raritan Township
Township Committee (vote for 2)
Democrats: Barbara Simoncelli, Hope Cohen
Republicans: Jeff Kuhl, Scott Sipos
Readington Township
Township Committee (vote for 2)
Democrats: Marvin Fields, Alan Harwick
Republicans: R. Juergen Huelsebusch, Adam Mueller
Next Post:
The Build Better Back Act – $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan and
The $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
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