South Orange 2024 Election: Sample Ballots, Candidates, Voter Info

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The fiery presidential matchup between Kamala Harris, Donald Trump and their third-party/independent challengers is probably the reason that many South Orange residents will be headed to the polls this November. But there will be plenty of other choices for local voters to make in the 2024 general election – including a school board race and a ballot question involving water privatization.

The Essex County Clerk’s Office has released sample ballots for South Orange, which can be seen online here.

The voter registration deadline for the general election is Oct. 15. Check to see if you’re registered here, and register to vote here.

There are seven candidates competing for three open seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education: Bimal Kapadia, Jeff Bennett, Deirdre Brown, Paul Stephan, Qawi Telesford, Arun Vadlamani, and Bethany Joseph.

South Orange residents will also be asked to cast a "yes" or "no" vote for a ballot question, which reads: "Shall South Orange Village, in the County of Essex, New Jersey, be authorized to sell its water distribution and transmission system (commonly known as the "System") to New Jersey American Water Company lnc. for the sum of $19,700,000?"

• See Related: Should South Orange Sell Its Water System? (Here's What To Know)

Here are some other local races that voters in South Orange will be asked to cast ballots for:

US SENATOR – Candidates for a U.S. Senate seat who will appear on the ballot in South Orange include Andy Kim (Democrat), Curtis Bashaw (Republican), Kenneth R. Kaplan (Libertarian), Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party), Christina Khalil (Green Party) and Patricia G. Mooneyham (Independent).

US HOUSE (11TH DISTRICT) – South Orange voters in the 11th Congressional District will cast ballots for a full term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Candidates on the ballot include Mikie Sherrill (Democrat), Joseph Belnome (Republican), Lily Benavides (Green Party) and Joshua Lanzara (Independent).

ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF – South Orange voters will get to cast a ballot in the race for Essex County Sheriff. The candidates on the ballot are Amir Jones (Democrat) and Nicholas Pansini (Republican).

ESSEX COUNTY REGISTER – South Orange voters will get to cast a ballot in the race for Essex County Register. The candidates on the ballot are Juann M. Rivera Jr. (Democrat) and Jeffrey M. Polewka (Republican).

3 WAYS TO VOTE

There are three ways to vote in the 2024 general election in New Jersey. Here’s what options are available for Essex County residents, according to the clerk’s office:

Vote By Mail – The last day to apply by mail for a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 29. Applications can be downloaded here. If you are using the U.S. Postal Service, the ballot must be postmarked on or before Nov. 5 and received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 11 to be considered valid and to be counted. If you are using one of the county’s “secure mail drop boxes,” the deadline for delivering your ballot is 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 (see a list of locations in Essex County here). If you are delivering your ballot in-person, you can deliver your completed ballot to the Board of Elections Office up until 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 at 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Newark (Dr. Martin Luther King Justice Building, room 145). Voters can confirm that their ballot was received here. Learn more about the voting by mail process in Essex County here.

Early Voting – Early in-person voting for 2024 general election will take place from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3. Voting hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. See a list of early voting locations in Essex County here.

Election Day – Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, which takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Find your local polling place here.

See the Essex County Clerk’s 2024 guide to voting here. Find out how to become a poll worker in Essex County here. Watch a video that shows how to vote in Essex County here (English and Spanish versions available).

Learn more about voting in New Jersey here.

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