Harrison's Future Is on the Ballot - The Time To Vote Is Now

Three Days Remain for Early Voting — October 30, 31, and November 1 

Then there is Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., but vote early because you might not feel like voting after work.

In the last Mayor & Council election in 2022 (4 years ago), only 30% of the Harrison Registered Voters voted. That means 70% of Harrison Registered Voters didn't vote.

When you choose not to vote, you leave the decision about your community's future in the hands of those who do. Your silence at the ballot box does not prevent a decision from being made — it simply allows others to make that decision for you.

Harrison's 2022 EPA Controversy

It's Friday, October 30, 2026, and time is running out for Harrison's 9,137 registered voters to cast their ballots in this year's General Election.

Three Days Remain for Early Voting — October 30, 31, and November 1. Then there is Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In the 2022 election, 30% of Harrison Registered Voters Voted.

In the last Mayor & Council election in 2022 (4 years ago) only 30% of the Harrison Registered Voters voted. That means 70% of Harrison Registered Voters didn't vote.

To everyone who has already voted, thank you for exercising your right to participate in our democracy.

Voting is one of the most powerful tools available to citizens. It allows residents to select their representatives, hold public officials accountable, and influence decisions that affect their communities.

With Harrison's November 3 municipal election approaching, several important questions remain about the proposed EPA Passaic River dredging operation at the PSE&G property aka the Harrison Toxic Sludge Plant.

Four years ago, during the 2022 Mayor & Council Municipal election, Councilman & Candidate for Mayor Anselmo Millan and local attorney John Pinho warned residents about plans to use the PSE&G property in Harrison for operations involving contaminated sediment dredged from the Passaic River.

The property is located in Harrison's Redevelopment Zone, near residential buildings, Sports Illustrated Stadium, and the Harrison PATH station.

Mayor James Fife and Councilman James Doran challenged those warnings during the 2022 election campaign. Fife & Doran stated that Millan & Pinho were lying. Time showed that Anselmo Millan & John Pinho were telling the Truth.  Fife & Doran lied and hid the truth from Harrison, NJ residents.  Fife & Doran continue to attack and state Millan & Pinho are lying. They publish negative pieces disparaging several people simply because they support the write-in candidates for Mayor & Council.

We guess they figure attacking the person telling the truth worked 4 years ago; it will work again this year.  It will if registered voters stay home and don't cast a write-in vote for Mayor  & Council members.

Two statements from 4 years ago deserve particular attention.

Statement One: The August 29, 2022, Redevelopment Agency Meeting

At the August 29, 2022, Harrison Redevelopment Agency meeting, Mayor Fife, who serves as the agency's chairman, discussed EPA's anticipated use of the PSE&G property.

He stated:

“Of course, you have the biggest piece Public Service, the EPA is holding that up. We were going to do some planning over there but the EPA is going to using it for the [Passaic] river dredge.”

The statement is significant because it acknowledges that EPA's anticipated use of the property was affecting redevelopment planning.

Fife also indicated that the project could occupy the property for approximately ten years.

This video is on YouTube through this link

Statement Two: Councilman Doran's 2022 Campaign Communication

During the same election campaign, Councilman James Doran made the following statement in communications distributed to Harrison residents:

“I can say with 100% surety that there are NO plans to ‘Dredge’ or place any toxic waste anywhere in Harrison.”

The contrast between these two statements raises an important question.

How could the anticipated EPA use of the PSE&G property be discussed at a public Redevelopment Agency meeting while residents were also being told, with “100% surety,” that there were no plans to place toxic waste anywhere in Harrison? 

Letter James Doran set in 2022 to residents containing the 100% surety statement. A blantant lie to residents from the then Harrison Public School's Director of Personnel/Human Resources/Compliance and Crisis Management & Mayor & Council President

James Doran’s Letter

YourHarrison previously examined this controversy in an article titled:

Fife and Doran Mislead Harrison Residents on EPA Toxic Sludge Plant. (click article title to read the article)

The article discusses the statements made during the 2022 campaign and the available documents and video recordings.

Residents can review that reporting and evaluate the evidence for themselves.

What Is Proposed for Harrison Today?

EPA's proposed use of the PSE&G property involves operations associated with the cleanup of contaminated sediment from the Passaic River.

The proposed activities include handling dredged sediment and debris, processing sediment for transportation, and preparing materials for disposal. Including the use of Portland Cement in the processing of the toxic sludge.

Residents have expressed concerns about the potential release of contaminated particles, truck traffic, flooding, and the long-term use of property near a residential neighborhood and a major public transportation station.

The property remains owned and used by PSE&G for vehicle parking and supply storage. It was historically used for manufactured-gas operations and underwent environmental remediation. The PSE&G property is completely cleaned up at a cost of a record $360 to $410 million.

An alternative community vision in the Harrison Redevelopment Plan alluded to by Mayor Fife in his statement revealing the Toxic Sludge Plant (“planning”) has included a public park, soccer fields, a multilevel community center, and improved access to the Harrison PATH station.

Questions about the environmental safeguards, duration, location, and ultimate use of the property remain important matters of public interest.

Alternate Site: South Kearny

There is an alternative site for the EPA Toxic Sludge Plant.  EPA can place its Toxic Sludge Plant in industrial South Kearny which already has a privately owned sludge plant that is miles from any residential community.  A Toxic Sludge Plant in South Kearny, with rail lines and direct access to the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 1&9 without going through residential communities, is a much better location than one placed across from a residential community and a major rail transportation hub.

Harrison's Other Quality-of-Life Issues

The EPA controversy is not the only issue facing residents.

Parking restrictions, street-cleaning schedules, redevelopment, municipal spending, and government transparency also affect daily life in Harrison.

In southern Harrison, sometimes called SOHA, residents face 4 a.m. street-cleaning schedules and widespread metered parking.

Residents have questioned whether municipal parking policies adequately serve the people who live in the Redevelopment Zone.

These issues deserve public discussion and clear explanations from elected officials.

Why Your Vote Matters

Municipal elections often attract fewer voters than presidential elections.

When turnout is low, a relatively small number of voters determines who makes decisions that affect the entire community. As stated above, only 30% of the registered voters in Harrison, NJ, came out in the last Mayoral election in 2022. The next Mayoral Election won't be until 2030.

Those decisions can have consequences lasting many years.

Residents cannot attend every public meeting or personally monitor every government decision. They depend on their elected representatives to act responsibly and communicate honestly.

Elections provide an opportunity to review those officials' records and consider alternative candidates.

This year, Harrison's municipal elections include write-in candidacies, giving voters additional choices beyond the names printed on the ballot

Two Worlds: The One You Live In and the One You Influence

There are two worlds.

The world you live in.

And the world you influence.

The world you live in is filled with work, family responsibilities, entertainment, and the demands of everyday life.

The world you influence is shaped by the choices you make, the principles you defend, and your willingness to participate in decisions that affect your community.

One world occupies your time.

The other reflects your ability to make a difference.

Voting is one way to connect them.

Early Voting: Three Days Remain

Friday, October 30: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 31: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday, November 1: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 voting hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Hudson County registered voters may vote at designated early-voting locations throughout the county.

Harrison Early Voting

For Harrison residents, the most convenient early voting location is Harrison Town Hall, 318 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, NJ 07029. The early voting site is located in the Town Hall lobby.

Harrison voters, however, are not required to cast their early ballot in Harrison. During the early-voting period, a registered Hudson County voter may vote their ballot at any designated Hudson County early-voting center, regardless of the Hudson County municipality in which the voter resides. That means a Harrison voter who works in Jersey City, for example, can vote at an early-voting center there rather than returning to Harrison.

Kearny Early Voting

Neighboring Kearny also has an early-voting location at Kearny Town Hall, 402 Kearny Avenue, Kearny, NJ 07032. Because both Harrison and Kearny are in Hudson County, eligible Harrison voters may use the Kearny early-voting center, just as Kearny voters may use Harrison's early-voting center during the designated early-voting period.

Jersey City Early Voting Locations

Voters also have several early-voting options in neighboring Jersey City. According to the New Jersey Division of Elections' current Hudson County list, early voting will be available at Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive;  DiFeo Auto Dealership, 237 Mallory Avenue; Hudson County Plaza, 257 Cornelison Avenue; Jersey City City Hall Annex, 4 Jackson Square/39 Kearney Avenue; Jersey City City Hall, 280 Grove Street, using the Montgomery Street entrance; Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge 266, 60 West Side Avenue; and Pershing Field Community Center, 816 Summit Avenue.

The Jersey City locations may be particularly useful for Harrison residents who commute through Jersey City or who cannot conveniently reach Harrison Town Hall during the early-voting period. Because early voting uses a countywide vote-center system, a registered Harrison voter can cast the appropriate Harrison ballot at one of these Jersey City locations during early voting, or at any other Hudson County town where they are during the Early-Voting period.

Early voting should not be confused with Election Day voting. During early voting, Hudson County voters can use any Hudson County early-voting location. On Election Day, November 3, voters who choose to vote in person must report to their assigned Election Day polling location. Voters should therefore verify their Election Day polling place if they decide not to vote during the October 24 through November 1 early-voting period.

Voting for write-in candidates on the new Electronic Full Screen Voting Machines is easy.  This video shows you what to do.  The only difference between the video and the Harrison Ballot is that the Write-In / Personal Choice selections are on Row 5 and Row 6 at the Far Right of the ballot, not at the bottom of the Columns.  Look to the far right, then press the Personal Choice/Write-In Candidate to bring up the on-screen keyboard and type the candidate's name.

For Harrison voters supporting the Stand Up Harrison write-in slate, matching the correct name with the correct office is essential:

Mayor (Townwide)— Michael P. Verile

First Ward Council — Dominick Ritorto

Second Ward Council — Stephen Landfield

Third Ward Council — Ki Sau Chan

 Video Demonstration of Voting Machine Including How To Write In A Candidate

Because voters do not see write-in candidates in the same way as candidates whose names are printed on the ballot, voters intending to cast a write-in should take extra care to select the correct office, enter the intended candidate's name, and review the completed ballot before casting it.

Watch this video and follow the instructions below after watching the video through this link if the video does not display above.

Go to Row 5 (not column), follow it to the right, and click Write In to open the keyboard and type the candidate's name: Michael Verile.  Do the same for Council in Row 6 (not Column); on the far right, click Write In to open the keyboard again.  Type your ward's Council candidate. 

Watch this video from Union County that explains how to use the voting machine and, at the end, how to vote for a Write-In candidate so you are comfortable with the process. Hudson County did not have a video on how to vote for a write-in candidate.

Harrison's future belongs to its residents. Its elected officials are accountable to them. But You Must Vote.

Your Harrison Is Your Community — Join the Conversation

Local news is better when the community is part of it. After reading this article, tell your neighbors what you think, share information, ask questions, or start a discussion on the Community Discussion Board.

Not a member yet? Joining Your Harrison is free. Become part of a growing community of residents, former residents, local business owners, and others who care about what is happening in Harrison and West Hudson.

Join Your Harrison FREE today, then make your voice part of the conversation.