Assemblywoman to introduce legislation to change municipal runoff schedule

Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato (D-Jersey City) said she plans to introduce legislation adjusting the schedule of nonpartisan local elections to address logistical challenges posed by a short runoff period. 

Recent legislative adjustments to the electoral calendar mean mayoral and city council candidates in Jersey City and Hoboken this year could compete in a Dec. 2 if no candidate receives a majority of votes. Election officials told the New Jersey Globe the short runoff period—with another election just 13 days after the certification—makes it impossible for officials to follow the letter of the law while administering the runoff.

“The timeline established by current laws, particularly around certification, mail-in ballots, and early voting, makes it virtually impossible to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law,” McCann Stamato said in a release. “These laws were not designed for the current landscape, and it’s time to update them for the reality of modern elections.”

The deadline to contest the November election is Dec. 6, creating a potential legal challenge, since the deadline comes after the scheduled Dec. 2 runoff.

Michael Russo, Hoboken’s 3rd Ward councilman, said the quick runoff schedule makes it difficult for election officials to turn around mail-in ballots, prepare sample ballots, reset voting machines, and prepare other needed election services.

“Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato has already indicated a legislative effort to move the date of the December 2025 runoff in order to allow for adequate preparation, as well as other logistical improvements. I support that effort and applaud Assemblywoman McCann Stamato for acting quickly for the benefit of Hoboken residents,” he said.

McCann Stamato, the Jersey City municipal Democratic chair, said the specifics of her proposal will be released in the coming weeks. She said she plans to work with municipal officials and elections administrators while crafting the bill.

“As an elected official committed to ensuring fair elections, I cannot stand by while our municipal elections are mired in confusion and legal contradictions,” the assemblywoman said.