Starting tomorrow and running through Tuesday, voters will have an opportunity to elect state and local officials who will make policy for the next four years affecting everyone who lives in Jersey City.

At the state level, voters will nominate Democratic and Republican candidates for the State Senate and Assembly. At the local level, voters will choose their nominees for county commissioners (formerly “freeholders”) and the county executive.

No doubt, you have seen signs around town asking you to vote for a “column.” You should resist the temptation.

For as long as anyone can remember, The Hudson County Democratic Organization has had a vice-like grip on the levers of local government and those in Trenton who represent our interests. Its nominees, unfortunately chosen through opaque, back-room deals, have sailed into office when voters simply went down the line pressing the buttons in their column on the ballot. (In heavily Democratic Hudson County, securing the Democratic nomination is tantamount to winning the general election.)

Worse, often the HCDO column has had names like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden at the top of it, which research has shown, has given an outsized advantage to the candidates below regardless of their merits. The legality of “the line,” as it is called, is currently being challenged in federal court.

This is not to say that there haven’t been good candidates offered by the HCDO; there have been, and there are today. But it is to say that there are other options that should be considered before pressing the button.

We don’t believe that a political monoculture is healthy. Electing candidates that will offer fresh solutions to the problems that beset New Jersey, Hudson County, and Jersey City is essential.

We’ve assembled as complete a guide as exists that includes HCDO-endorsed Democrats, Democrats with Progressive Democrats of Hudson County, and Republicans. Just punch in the candidate’s name in the search bar.

If you’re formally unaffiliated with either party, you can still vote in the election by registering with one of the two parties on site (see below).

In the end, you may decide that you love all of the candidates in one column. But make that decision based on the candidates themselves.

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Election Information

Voters can vote only for candidates in the party for which they are registered. Unaffiliated voters can register for a party at their polling place on the day of the vote. For more information on this primary election go here.

Early voting in Jersey City runs from Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 5. 

Early Voting Locations: 

  • Moose Lodge – 60 West Side Ave
  • City Hall – 280 Grove Street 
  • Pershing Field Community Center – 835 Summit Ave 
  • Hank Gallo Center – Lincoln Park 

Times for Early Voting: 

  • Friday 6/2 – 10am-8pm
  • Sat 6/3 – 10am-8pm
  • Sun 6/4 – 10am-6pm

Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that registered Democrats or Republicans can switch their party affiliation at their polling place on Election Day.