By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – Those involved with the election process – from “Local Talk” town halls up to the State House in Trenton – are hoping for at least one return to normality with the June 8 major party primaries.
Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin and County Elections Superintendent Linda von Nessi, along with their colleagues in New Jersey’s other 20 counties, have been preparing voting machine polling stations in accordance with Gov. Phil Murphy’s March 22 Executive Order.
Murphy had ordered that all physical polling stations that were open prior to the March 2020 COVID pandemic outbreak reopen from June 8 primary onward.
“All regularly operated polling places,” said Murphy, “will be open for all voters who wish to cast their ballots on voting machines.”
Murphy’s March 22 order further relaxes his March 2020 orders that postponed that year’s party primaries to July. That July primaries – along with Nov. 2’s General Elections and the combined and delayed April school board and May 2020 nonpartisan municipal elections – were predominantly vote-by-mail.
Essex County’s single voting station here was allowed to expand for the Nov. 4 and April 20, 2021 elections. Newark and West Orange got two polling stations each and the other 20 municipalities one station each.
Those polling booths may be open as early as May 31. Murphy, on March 15, signed a bill allowing nine days of early voting.
Durkin and Von Nessi are now more than having to prepare voting machines that Democratic and Republican voters may use June 8 to determine their party’s candidates for up to 23 state, county and municipal offices due Nov. 2.
They now have to have those voting machines, paid election workers and volunteering challengers in position on or before May 31- Memorial Day.
Those planning on using the polling stations may want to check Durkin and Von Nessi’s websites and offices to verify station locations. Those same voters will also automatically receive Vote By Mail Ballots.
Voters may mail in those VBMBs or deposit them among 24 designated Essex County drop boxes leftover from last year.
It is hoped that the extra options will help registered voters to choose major party candidates for a Governor-Lieutenant Governor, all 120 state legislators, and an Essex County Sheriff plus a mayor and council/committee members in two “Local Talk” towns.
The June 8 election, like previous primaries, are only open to registered voters who identify themselves as either Republicans or Democrats.
May 18 is the deadline for online, mailed-in and in-person voter registration for the June 8 primaries.
GOVERNOR
Democratic Party voters have incumbents Phil Murphy, of Rumson, and Sheila Y. Oliver, of East Orange, on their machine or mail ballots. They are asking, by state law, for their second and last terms in office.
Lisa McCormick, of Rahway, is running a write-in challenge. McCormick has not announced a lieutenant governor running mate.
Republican Party voters have four candidates on their ballots to choose from. They are, in alphabetical order: Jack Ciattarelli, of Hillsborough; Brain Levine, Franklin Township-Somerset County; Philip Rizzo, of New Vernon and Hirsh Singh, of Linwood.
STATE LEGISLATURE
State Senate
27th Legislative District (South Orange, West Orange, Five “West Essex,” Six Morris County Municipalities.)
Democratic voters have former Governor and Senate President Richard J. Codey on the ballot. The Orange native moved with the district’s boundaries to West Orange and, of late, Roseland.
Republican voters have on their ballot Adam Kraemer, of West Orange, to endorse.
28th LD (Irvington, East Orange, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Nutley and parts of Newark’s South and West Wards.)
Democratic voters have incumbent Ronald L. Rice, of Newark, and challenger Quadir Selby, of Irvington, to choose from. Republican voters have Frank Contella, of Nutley on their ballots.
29th LD (Belleville and the Rest of Newark)
Democratic voters have incumbent M. Teresa Ruiz, of Newark, on their ballots. Republican voters may write in their preferences. The Essex Republican Party Organization has not fielded a candidate.
34th LD (East Orange, Orange, Montclair and Passaic County’s Clifton.)
Democratic voters have incumbent Nia Gill, of Montclair. Republican voters have Scott Pollack, also of Montclair.
General Assembly – Two Seats per District.
In the 27th LD, Democratic voters have incumbents Mila Jasey, South Orange and John McKeon, West Orange on their ballot.
Republican voters have Millburn residents Kevin Ryan and Jonathan Sym. (Ryan is not to be confused with the late Assemblyman and Essex County Undersheriff Kevin J. Ryan.)
In the 28th LD, Democratic have Ralph Caputo, Bloomfield, and Cleopatra Tucker, Newark. Republican voters have Newark residents Anthony D’Angelo and Monique Headen.
In the 29th LD, Democratic voters’ ballots have incumbents and Newarkers Eliana Pintor Marin and Shanique Speight. The county’s Republican organization has not fielded candidates.
In the 34th LD, Democratic voters have incumbents Thomas Giblin, Montclair and Britnee Timberlake, East Orange. Republicans have Cliftonites Tarfari Anderson and Irene DeVita.
ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF
Respective party voters have contests to decide.
Democratic voters have longtime incumbent Armando Fontoura, of Fairfield, main challenger John Arnold, of Newark and county resident Barry Jackson to choose from.
Republican voters have to choose between Maureen Edelson, of Montclair, and Nicholas Pansini, of Bloomfield.
MUNICIPAL
In EAST ORANGE, party voters are to endorse their respective candidates for mayor and a council member in each of the city’s five wards.
Incumbent Mayor Theodore “Ted” Green, on the Democratic ballot, is seeking his third term.
Respective incumbents Christopher James, Christopher Awe, Bergson Leneus, Tameka Garrett-Ward and Alicia Holman are on their respective First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth ward Democratic ballots. There have been no Republican candidates on the ward ballots.
In MAPLEWOOD, Democratic voters have former Deputy Mayor Nancy J. Adams and newcomer Jamaine Cripes to endorse to fill the two Township Committee seats. Two-term incumbent Greg Lembrich declined re-election.
The township’s Republican fielded no candidates.
In GLEN RIDGE, primary voters will face empty ballot space for two Borough Council candidates – and most Ridgers seem to be fine with that.
Instead of circulating nomination petitions for voters to sign and file with the county, the borough’s respective Republican and Democratic organizations take part in the Civic Conference Committee process.
They are two of several organizations within the CCC – who makes endorsement for non-partisan municipal and board of education candidates.
