Petitions to Consolidate Hoboken Elections are Certified to Appear on November Ballot
Hoboken Voters Will Be Able to Decide Whether to Implement Election Reforms That Will Reduce the Number of Elections, Reduce Taxpayer Costs, and Improve Voter Turnout
On Friday, the Hoboken City Clerk certified over 1,800 petition signatures from Hoboken residents for two ballot questions designed to consolidate Hoboken's Municipal elections.The ballot questions were proposed by the citizens' committee Vote Yes for November, a group of residents looking to reform the electoral system in Hoboken.
Now, the people of Hoboken will officially be able to decide when future municipal elections will be held. If both initiatives are passed by the voters this November, Hoboken’s next municipal elections will be held in November of 2013 instead of in May, with the candidates receiving the most votes being elected to office.
"Thanks to the outpouring of support from 1,800 residents who signed our petitions, Hoboken residents will get an opportunity to be heard on whether they seek to bring election reform to our city. We are confident that Hoboken’s voters will support these initiatives that will consolidate multiple elections, increase voter turnout, save taxpayers money, and reduce voter fatigue," said Vijay Chaudhuri, one of the members of the Vote Yes November citizens' committee.
"I am extremely pleased that Hoboken voters will get the opportunity to vote on these common sense steps for reform. If the two ballot initiatives are passed by voters in November, no longer will Hoboken voters have to suffer through an election year like 2009, when Hoboken voters had to vote in 5 separate elections in a single year. Municipal elections would now be held on a single date in November - the date when voters turn out for the general election,” said Sasha Conroy, another member of the Vote Yes November citizens’ committee.
If voters choose to move the Hoboken Municipal elections to November, all future local elections will be held during November general election dates. Hoboken’s School Board elections have already been consolidated with the upcoming November general election instead of in April as in years past.
Members of the public who support this proposal are encouraged to voice their opinions at the Hoboken City Council meeting on Wednesday, September 5 at 7 pm in City Hall. ◦
