Want To Run For Office In Red Bank? Here's How To Start

RED BANK, NJ — Information on petitions and eligibility for candidates who want to run in the initial May nonpartisan election for Borough Council is now available from the borough.

Even as newly elected members of the Borough Council began their first full business meeting of the new year on Wednesday, part of the meeting dealt with the process of holding the next election, a nonpartisan election that will be a first for the borough.

Voters in November overwhelmingly chose to accept the recommendation of the Charter Study Commission to establish a nonpartisan form of government, under a Council-Manager form, with six at-large council members and one directly elected mayor.

Borough Clerk Laura Reinertsen reported to the council on Wednesday about rules regarding the candidate petitions for mayor and for councilmember and she firmed up the information in a news release to inform residents and potential candidates.

The election will be May 9. The number of petition signatures needed by candidates is 78, or 1 percent of the latest total of registered voters, she said.

Reinertsten said she will have packets of blank petition forms available for pick up at the municipal building.

She said she will check over petitions as they are filed by candidates to date and timestamp them and review names of signers.

Here are the eligibility requirements:

• No person shall be eligible to become a candidate for any local elective office unless he/she is a United States citizen, registered to vote in Red Bank, has been a resident of Red Bank for at least one year immediately prior to the date upon which the election for the office is to be held.

Here is the process for filing petitions to become a candidate:

• Petitions must be filed on or before 4 p.m. Monday, March 6, 2023.
• Each signature shall be on a separate petition sheet and shall bear the name and address of the petitioner and shall be for no more than one candidate.
• The individual signing the petition must sign as they signed when registered to vote.
• The candidate for office and their campaign manager shall file an oath that the statements made in the petitions are true and that each signature appended thereto is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be to the best of their knowledge and belief.

Reinertsen said petitions must be filed as "one instrument."

• All accompanying documentation such as oaths of the candidate and campaign manager, certificate of acceptance, bracketing for, if applicable, and six-word designation must be properly completed and submitted at the same time that the actual petitions are filed.

Petitions will not be accepted without this documentation, she said in the news release.

She advised candidates that "It would be appreciated that when you think you have enough good petitions, you bring them to this office so we can check them. This way if there is a defect, you have the time to obtain the required amount of petitions to be placed on the ballot."

She said that once a candidate has officially filed, he or she cannot add petitions, only correct the ones that are deficient. "This would not mean that you are 'officially filing.' That happens when all the paperwork is turned in with your petitions," she said.

Here is information on amendments to petitions under NJSA. 40:45-9:

• Petitions may be amended for defects until Thursday, March 9, of 2023.
• No names may be added or changes made to the office that the candidate seeks after 4 p.m., Monday, March 6, 2023.

The number of petitions needed under NJSA. 40:45-8 is explained here:

• The number of registered voters certified by the Commissioner of Registrations Office at the last General Election held in November 2022 was 7,741. Candidates will need 1 percent of that total number, equaling 78 petitions signed by registered voters, the clerk said.

Potential candidates with questions can contact the borough clerk at lreinertsen@redbanknj.org or 732-530-2740.