Runoffs today for council seats in Hoboken and Hillside

Good morning, New Jersey.   It’s Election Day, again.

Voters in Hoboken and Hillside will go to the polls today to decide runoff contests in non-partisan municipal elections.  The polls are open from 6 AM to 8 PM.

In Hoboken’s Ward 1, Paul Presinzano faces Rafi Cordova for the city council seat of Michael DeFusco, who is not seeking re-election.

Last month, Presinzano received 47.9% of the vote, 26 short of the 50% he needed to avoid a runoff, 608-539, against Rafi Cordova (42.5%).  A third candidate, Leo Pellegrini, received 114 votes (8.9%).

Cordova, the Hoboken Rent Leveling and Stabilization Board chairman, has the backing of Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Council President Emily Jabbour, and Councilman Phil Cohen.

Presinzano has the backing of Councilmembers Tiffanie Fisher, Jen Giattino, and Ruben Ramos.  He ran for an at-large city council seat, finishing fourth in a field of ten candidates for three seats.  Presinzano lost by 2,456 votes.

David Feuerstein and Marjorie Hargrave face off for the Ward 4 seat on the Hillside Township Council, where incumbent Gerald Pateesh Freedman was eliminated in the November 7 general election.

Feuerstein led Hargrave by just four votes, 338-334, 36.3% to 35.8%.  Freedman finished third with 142 votes (15.2%), followed by Ivelesse Sermeno with 116 (12.4%).

Feuerstein is the Hillside Democratic municipal vice chairman and a zoning board member.

Hargrave appears to have some ties to controversial political operative James Devine, who is currently facing voter fraud charges for falsifying nominating petitions to get his shadowy life partner, Lisa McCormick, on the ballot in the 2021 Democratic gubernatorial primary.   Hargrave lost council races in 2013, 2014, and 2017.

Vote-by-mail ballots may be dropped in secure drop boxes or returned by the U.S. Postal Service at the peril of a voter; ballots must be postmarked by 8 PM on December 5 and delivered to the county Board of Elections no later than close of business on Monday, December 11.

Click HERE to find your polling location.

Ballot Drop Boxes in Hoboken are located at City Hall at 94 Washington Street (Newark Street), at the Stevens University Gateway Building on Hudson Street and Sixth Street, and at Monroe Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets.

The Hillside Ballot Drop Box location is 265 Hollywood Avenue.

If you cast a mail-in vote, track your ballot HERE to make sure it has arrived at your county election office.

Superior Court judges will hear same-day challenges for issues involving early voting and on Election Day.  Voters turned away from the polls but believe they are correctly registered should arrange to appear virtually or by telephone before a judge.  Click HERE for more information.

Anyone who believes their vote has been interfered with or seeks to report voting-related issues can call the New Jersey Voter Information and Assistance line toll-free at 1-877-NJVOTER.

Voters can call the Voter Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) from the American Civil Liberties Union for help.

Attorney General Matt Platkin has a Voting Rights Resources page to answer questions about your rights under state law.  Click HERE.

Voters who feel they have faced discrimination or harassment in pursuit of their right to vote can also file a report with the Division on Civil Rights through the NJ BIAS online portal —  https://bias.njcivilrights.gov — or may call 1-800-277-BIAS (1-800-277-2427).  Urgent complaints concerning allegations of discrimination or harassment filed with the Division on Civil Rights may be addressed during the election or after the election.

Possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be reported to the  U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov/ or by telephone toll-free at 800-253-3931.

Click HERE to check your voter registration status.