Some election deadlines you should know about before the summer politics hibernation ends

For people slowing down a little over the summer, some important election deadlines are coming up before Labor Day that some won’t want to miss.

The filing deadline to run for school board and fire commissioner in the November general election is at 4 PM on July 31.  The ballot draw is August 14, and the withdrawal deadline is August 29.

Proposed amendments to the New Jersey State Constitution to be considered by voters in November 2023 election must be submitted by August 7.  Legislative leaders have yet to indicate any intention to do so this year.

The ballot drawing for the general election is scheduled for August 14.  Some county clerks from Central Jersey may want to mark that on their calendars.

September 1 is the deadline for municipal governing bodies to submit non-binding public questions for the general election ballot to the county clerk.

The deadline to submit nominating petitions to run in the November non-partisan municipal elections is September 5 at 4 PM.  That’s the day after Labor Day.

It’s unclear what the legislative intent was when filing deadlines for school board candidates were set for 36 days before non-partisan municipal candidates.

One more crucial post-Labor Day deadline: political parties have until September 15 to fill general election ballot vacancies created when the winner of the June primary election drops out of the race.  That’s not an infrequent occurrence: changing political climates and other circumstances sometimes cause parties to switch candidates.