By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – That the registered voting “Local Talk News” electorate has political and nonpartisan candidates and public questions to determine before the end of Nov. 3 here may be the most consistent or normal aspect of Election 2020.
The Nov. 3 General Election is – from picking the next President of the United States to Board of Education members – the third straight where the polling is predominantly done with Vote-By-Mail ballots.
There will be at least one traditional Nov. 3 polling station with a machine and poll workers -here at the Essex County Hall of Records. The Essex County Board of Elections, as of Sept. 30, have not yet said whether they will deploy more polling booths elsewhere.
The county’s network of VBM drop boxes – first used for the combined nonpartisan municipal and school board elections and the July 7 major party primaries – have expanded to all 22 municipalities. Newark and West Orange have two each.
Drop boxes and VBM ballots are to keep physical contact to a minimum in this COVID-19 socially distant climate. Measures to curb and turn back the coronavirus outbreak have also affected how candidates campaign and meet prospective voters.
The annual General Election task remains the choosing of people to represent us and to approve or turn down public questions affecting the state budget and/or the 1947 State Constitution.
This article will serve as an overview of what completes the Nov. 3 ballot – including the “minor” party and/or independent candidates who made the July 7 petition deadline requirements and the three statewide public questions. It will also provide an entry for further personal inquiry.
The parties, other than Republicans and Democrats, and independents for President and U.S. Congress span the hews of the political spectrum. The candidates are referenced here by name, residency, incumbency or challenger and by party.
PRESIDENT / VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Incumbents: Donald J. Trump (R-Palm Beach, Fla.) / Mike Pence (R-Indianapolis, Ind.) Challengers: Joseph Biden (D-Wilmington, Del.) / Kamala Harris (D-Sacramento, Calif.).
The Alliance Party candidate Roque “Rocky” De La Fuentes and running mate Darcy Richardson have drawn Line C on the ballot. De La Fuents, of San Diego, ran in 2016 on a TAP-Reform Party fusion ticket. Richardson, of Wilkinsburg, Pa., last ran for Governor of Pennsylvania.
TAP, according to politiics1.com, has made the ballot in at least 15 states and the District of Columbia.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation is found on the next line. Gloria Estella La Rivera, of Albuquerque, N.M. is PSL’s candidate, running with Sunil Freeman, of Washington, D.C. PSL has made the ballot in at least 15 states. and D.C.
On the next line is the Green Party’s Howie Hawkins-Angela Walker entry. Hawkins is a Syracuse, N.Y. native. Walker resides in Columbia, S.C. The Green Party has made the ballot in at least 29 states and D.C.
Following is Unity Party of America’s Bill Hammons and Eric Bodenstal. Hammons, of Colorado Springs, Co., founded the party in 2005. Bodenstal is from Denver. The Unity Party is at least on the ballot here and may be in up to 13 other states and/or D.C.
The Constitution Party’s Don Blankenship and William Mohr ticket landed on the next line. Blankenship resides in Charlestown, W.Va. Mohn is a Bryan Corners, Mich. native. The Constitution Party is on the ballot in up to 29 states and D.C.
The Libertarian Party’s Jo Jorgenson and Spike Cohen round out the balloted POTUS field. Jorgenson and Mohr respectively reside in Columbia, S.C., and Boston. The Libertarian Party is on the ballot in all 50 states and D. C.
And then there are other candidates who are running for their own reasons. One of those candidates is Kanye West; the number of states that have him on the ballot is up for debate.
Please note that there is a Line I on the ballot. That line is where a voter can mark and write in his or her own personal candidate.
U.S. SENATE
Incumbent: Cory A. Booker (D-Newark), Challenger: Rik Metha (R- Chester.)
Veronica B. Fernandez drew a place on Line C, but is running on her own “Of, By, For!” ticket. The self-employed electrical contractor is from Sussex County’s Franklin Borough.
On the next line is Daniel Burke. Burke, of Princeton, is running under his own “LaRouche Was Right” banner but with LaRouche PAC support.
Madelyn Hoffman shares the Green Party line and ticket. Hoffman, of Flanders, last ran in 2018. Luis E. “Ed” Vergara, of New Providence, is running a write-in campaign.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Eighth Congressional District (Includes Belleville, Newark’s East, North Wards.)
Incumbent: Albio Sires (D-W. New York.) Challenger: Jason Todd Mushnik (R-Jersey City). Dan Delaney, of Hoboken, is running on the Libertarian line.
10th CD (Incl. the Rest of Newark, Lower Thirds of Bloomfield and Montclair, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Maplewood, Orange, South Orange and part of West Orange.)
Incumbent: Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-Newark), Challenger: Jennifer Zinone (R-Bayonne), Although Khaliiah Fichette was placed on the TAP line, the Newark native is running on her own “Building Your Legacy” banner. West Orange’s Akil Khalfani is on the next line but is running as an independent. John Mirrione, of Elizabeth, is running on the Libertarian line.
11th CD (Incl. the rest of Local Talk News territory)
Incumbent: Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), Challenger: Rosemary Becchi (R-Millburn) There are no other party or independent candidates on the 11th CD ballot.
ESSEX COUNTY, MUNICIPAL, SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS
Most of the rest of these elections – Essex County At Large and Ward Freeholders County Clerk, and Municipal Council – are contests between Democratic and Republican party candidates. Several Democratic incumbents are running unopposed.
There are no “minor party” or independent candidates running at the county or municipal levels – until one considers the nonpartisan council races in West Orange and, maybe, Glen Ridge.
By nonpartisan, these candidates are not running or fielded by their local or county Democratic or Republican party committees. That partisan ban, however, does not prevent candidates here from running on their own slogans or team up under a common banner.
In WEST ORANGE, there are seven candidates vying for three Township Council seats – six of whom have their own slogans.
One could not tell who the incumbents who are seeking re-election are by their slogans alone. Michele Casilano calls herself “Always Working for West Orange”. Jerry Guarino is running on his own, “Vision Leadership Results” flag.
Challenging are: Monica Perkowski, “Change Fuels Progress;” H. William (Bill) Rutherford, “People Before Politics,;” Susan Scarpa, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall;” Brent Scott (no slogan) and Tammy Williams, “Everything is Possible.”
“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” may apply in Nov. 3’s GLEN RIDGE Borough Council election.
Returning Councilman David Lefkovits and incumbent Councilwoman Deborah Mans, on one hand, are running with Civic Conference Committee endorsement. The CCC, where the major borough party committee have non-majority voices, is a broad-based group who endorses mayor, council and board of education candidates here.
While gaining a post-interview CCC endorsement is sought-after, there have been candidates without the blessing whom voters have elected.
Lefkovits and Mans, however, are running unopposed on the ballot. They are shoo-ins barring an unforeseen write-in campaign.
There are nonpartisan BOARD of EDUCATION elections in Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Maplewood-South Orange, Nutley, Orange and West Orange. Their details were covered in Local Talk News’ Sept. 24-30 edition.
STATE PUBLIC QUESTIONS
These three questions up for statewide public referenda are found on all ballots’ second page – where some would also find their municipal council and/or their school board elections.
Space considerations, however, have placed the three questions’ interpretive statements on a separately provided sheet. That sheet is not included among the 30 pages of essexclerk.com’s sample ballots.
Question One: A Constitutional Amendment to legalize marijuana.
The question, if approved, would make the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana and cannabis-based products legal for people 21 years of age and older.
The proposal will be governed by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission. The six-year-old state body has been supervising the distribution of cannabis-based products and medicinal marijuana dispensaries.
One of the proposal’s clauses include municipal taxing of said sales.
New Jersey, should voters approve, will become among several states who have decriminalized or legalized marijuana. Please note that marijuana possession, use and/or distribution remain federal offenses.
Question Two: Property Tax Deduction and Exemption for peacetime veterans.
This question would extend the initial $250 property tax deduction and subsequent tax exemption on dwellings of veterans who became disabled during their peacetime military service.
A recent majority of statewide voters had granted the same deduction of homeowning veterans who became disabled while in service – and in combat. A further amendment extended the deduction to the same who are tenants.
Question Three: A Constitutional Amendment to change the legislative redistricting schedule if census data is delayed.
This question will determine when Congressional and Legislative districts are redrawn — and perhaps who you vote for the rest of this decade.
Feb. 15, 2021 is currently when state legislators in Trenton start using Census 2020 data to redraw districts for even population. This is part of the decennial process that filters down to county and municipal districts since 1790.
The COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus outbreak, however, may be the main reason for the belief that the Census may arrive later than Feb. 15. (This proposal was made before federal administrators attempted to end census data collection from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30.)
The amendment, pending approval, will allow the State Legislature to set a deadline later than Feb. 15. Its effect may include retaining the current legislative maps into 2022.
Voter participation deadlines, starting with filing registration applications on or before Oct. 12, are starting to close.
Contact: essexclerk.com regarding registration, voter roll changes and/or applying for a second or replacement VBM ballot.
