Spotswood could begin holding its municipal elections in November if the governor signs a bill that has now received full legislative backing.
In December, the state Senate approved the bill 38-0, and last week the state Assembly voted 49-25 in favor of the law, which would give municipalities with nonpartisan forms of government the option to hold their May elections on the same day as the general election. The switch is designed to save tax dollars and increase voter participation in the local elections.
Borough Council President Curtis Stollen is among those who pressed the state for the new law. He said the May election costs Spotswood about $25,000 per year, and that not nearly enough people come out to vote. In May 2008 when the mayor’s position and two council seats were on the ballot, just 326 of Spotswood’s 4,885 registered voters came out to the polls.
Stollen said many voters may be unaware that there is an election in May; others may not care to vote three or more times a year in the school, municipal and general elections. Those reasons prompted state Sen. Barbara Buono and Assemblymen Patrick Diegnan Jr. and Peter J. Barnes III, all Democrats representing Middlesex County, to sponsor the bill.
“New Jersey voters are inundated every year with election after election, usually multiple times within a single calendar year, to the point where the average voter cannot focus on the important issues from one campaign to the next,” Buono said. “We need to do a better job energizing voters and addressing voter apathy in the Garden State, and we need to give municipalities the option to consolidate election dates and save some much-needed tax dollars. This bill accomplishes both goals and will result in a more streamlined election process and a more engaged electorate.”
Under current New Jersey law, towns with nonpartisan forms of government are required to hold their elections in May or change to a partisan format. Stollen said Spotswood officials have been against bringing party politics into small-town government, instead choosing to fight for the ability to change the election date.
The bill gives municipalities the option of holding their elections in November. If the governor signs the bill, the Borough Council must approve a local ordinance in order to make the change. Towns could only return to a May election date after 10 years under the new system.
Under the bill, current officeholders’ terms would be extended to the start of newly elected officeholders in the November election. Also, the ballot design would be required to draw clear distinctions between the partisan and nonpartisan elections.
Statewide there are 86 towns with nonpartisan governments. This includes Newark, which would save $1 million per year by switching.
Stollen said the change would not take place until 2011, in order to give town clerks and election boards time to prepare for the change. However, assuming the bill is signed into law, he expects the Borough Council will waste no time adopting an ordinance to make it official.
“We have to talk to the attorney first to see just what is necessary,” he said. While holding a separate election in May, away from the usual “silly season” politics, does have its benefits, Stollen said it is simply “a luxury you just can’t afford anymore.”
Diegnan said the move is “a win for everyone.”
“Municipalities win because they save money while being able to keep their unique form of government; voters and candidates win because the electorate is more engaged and more active in November elections,” Diegnan said.
Jason Butkowski, spokesman for Buono’s office, said it is hoped that Gov. Jon Corzine will sign the bill within the next week, before his terms runs out. Otherwise, the bill would have to go through the legislative process again.