Councilmen: Move City Elections to November

If you don't have the time to attend Hoboken's City Council Meetings, you can always visit the Hoboken Patch for a quick update on what you need to know. 

An issue that will get attention tonight will be a resolution calling for a review of state legislation to determine whether to change the dates of non­partisan municipal elections from May to November. This proposal is sponsored by Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla and Councilman Peter Cunningham. 

"We had the people of Hoboken go through five elections last year," Bhalla said. "We're trying to consolidate the number of elections." 

The reasons for those consolidations are three fold, he said. Firstly: to save money. 

"By consolidating the number of elections, we're literally saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars." 

Bhalla said he asked the City's Clerk James Farina how much money it costs to hold elections. The two elections in the spring (May, and then a run-off in June) cost the city $300,000 Bhalla said. 

The consolidation of elections should also combat fatigue, Bhalla said. After four election cycles, Hobokenites are less likely to turn up for another round. This ties in with the third reason Bhalla gave, which is to increase participation. 

"People who have not come out in May will come out in November to vote for governor," Bhalla said. 

The decision to move non-partisan elections from May to the regular election date in November was approved on Jan. 7. The State Assembly allowed all towns with non-partisan municipal elections—of which Hoboken is one—to decide themselves to adopt this law. 

The law will not be changed at tonight's meeting. Bhalla's motion will simply present the new state law as an option for Hoboken, and something that the administration should seriously consider adopting.