PASCACK VALLEY—Thousands of Pascack Valley voters — mostly registered Democrats and Republicans — will head to local polling places during early voting (June 2–4) and on Tuesday, June 6, Primary Election Day, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. to select party candidates in the Nov. 7 General Election.
Registered Democrats will select among the Democratic candidates running for each office and registered Republicans will choose among Republican candidates. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primary by declaring a party at the polls, said election officials.
Registered voters should have received sample ballots a week or more before the official Primary Election day, June 6. In addition, the county clerk’s office mailed out a detailed brochure, “3 Ways To Vote For The June 6 Primary Election,” that describes the three options: voting in-person on election day, voting by mail-in-ballot, and voting in-person at any of nine early voting locations.
Registered voters can cast early ballots at nine early voting locations, including River Vale Community Center, 628 Rivervale Road, and Woodcliff Lake’s Tice Senior Center, 411 Chestnut Ridge Road.
Other locations include Fort Lee, Garfield, Hackensack, Paramus, Teaneck, Wood-Ridge, and Wyckoff. Times are Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In most Pascack Valley towns, there are no competing Republican or Democratic slates for registered voters to choose between. Moreover, Primary Elections traditionally have low voter turnout due to the uncontested nature of most primary ballots.
Topping the ballot in the 39th District (which covers Pascack Valley) are uncontested Democratic State Senate candidate Jodi A. Murphy and incumbent Republican Sen. Holly Schepisi.
Below the Senate candidates, 39th Legislative District State Assembly candidates show uncontested Democrats Damon J. Englese and John F. Vitale, and uncontested Republican candidates incumbent Robert J. Auth and John V. Azzariti Jr.
Running uncontested for two Bergen County Commissioner seats are Democrats incumbent Joan M. Voss and Rafael Marte, and Republicans Agninshalah N. Collins and Mary Jo-Ann Guinchard.
See “Election Hopefuls Set Hot Primary Ballot,” Michael Olohan, April 3, 2023, Pascack Press, for details on municipal council candidates.
Two well known Republican candidates planning to compete in November’s General Election — one in Woodcliff Lake and one in the Township of Washington — are not on the Primary Election ballot Due to a snafu in filing his election petition, Republican Mayor Carlos A, Rendo is urging registered voters to write in his name and the names of his two running mates, Carlos A. Rendo for Mayor, plus Julie B. Brodsky and Joshua S. Stern for Council.
Borough Clerk Debbie Dakin said that the mayor and two council candidates must each receive a minimum of 25 registered Republican votes in the primary to qualify to be on the November General Election ballot.
In Washington Township, Councilman Steven Cascio plans to run as an Independent in the General Election, though remaining a Republican candidate. He is not listed on the Primary Ballot for Republican council candidates, as he was not selected to run by the Republican County Committee.
Registered voters may contact the county Superintendent of Elections Office for voter registration questions at (201) 336-6109 or their municipal clerk’s office for questions about local elections and polling places.