Politics & Government

Council Tables Measure to Change Election Date

State law allows nonpartisan elections to move to November.

Council members decided to table a measure last night that would move the village's nonpartisan election to November.

If approved, future Village Council elections would be held along with general, partisan elections in the fall. Changing the election day would save the village between $30,000 and $35,000 in an election year.

"It's invaluable to have our nonpartisan election preserved. My concern is that the sanctity of that will be affected," Mayor David Pfund said.

Find out what's happening in Ridgewood-Glen Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2009, state legislators approved a measure allowing municipalities the option to move their elections to the fall.

Since that law was enacted, Village Clerk Heather Mailander said West Windsor decided to move its election, but Perth Amboy declined. So far towns in Bergen County haven't changed their dates.

Find out what's happening in Ridgewood-Glen Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A major concern for council members and other municipalities is that the ballot would confuse voters. Even yesterday, Mailander said a resident called asking whom to vote for in next week council's elections without party affiliation.

Deputy Mayor Keith Killion said he thought that villagers were intelligent enough to make the distinction themselves.

"The cost savings are pretty big here," Killion said. 

Mailander said moving the election would immediately increase voter turnout. Typically, she said there's 20 percent turnout for the May election, 40 percent for general elections and between 75 to 90 percent for presidential elections.

The clerk brought the matter to council's attention last night so outgoing, long-serving members could weigh in.

"Perhaps Mayor Pfund and Councilman Mancuso would have better perspective than newly elected members," she said.

Another caveat, Mailander said, is that once enacted, the town couldn't change the law for 10 years.

If council passed the law, it wouldn't affect anything until the 2012 election cycle. That means Killion, Councilman Paul Aronsohn and Councilwoman Anne Zusy would serve an extra six months. Additionally, the two incoming council members would also hold office longer.

Council will revisit the issue in six months. Mailander said there was no timeframe on when it had to make a decision on the matter.


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