How To Run in November for Harrison NJ Mayor or Council

Residents of the Town of Harrison who are considering a run for public office in the November General Election should begin preparing now, as the petition filing process and signature requirements are important first steps toward getting on the ballot. The number of signatures required for the Council is 10 in 3 of the 4 wards in Harrison.  Read on for more detailed information.

The Town of Harrison in Harrison, NJ, operates under a municipal government system in which the Mayor and members of the Town Council are elected to four-year terms. Municipal elections are staggered. Every four years, the Mayor and four of the eight Council seats are up for election. The remaining four Council members run the following year, also for four-year terms.

Harrison Is Divided Into Four Wards

The Town of Harrison is divided into four election wards, each represented by two Council members.

The most populated ward in recent years has been the 2nd Ward, which includes much of Harrison’s redevelopment zone and modern apartment communities in the Riverbend/SOHA section of town near Sports Illustrated Stadium and down So. Frank E. Rodgers Blvd surrounds the Harrison PATH Station area and is also part of the modern apartment buildings along First Street.  Look at the Ward map accompanying this article.

Under New Jersey election law and local ward population requirements:

• Candidates running in Harrison’s 2nd Ward must obtain a minimum of 25 valid signatures from registered voters residing in that ward.
• Candidates running in Wards 1, 3, or 4 only need a minimum of 10 valid signatures from registered voters residing in their respective wards.

Although those are the legal minimums, prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to collect more signatures than required. Petitions can be challenged, and signatures may be invalidated for technical reasons, such as a voter signing more than one petition for the same office. Don’t let the latter recommendations stop you from gathering signatures.  Can you collect 10 signatures?  Absolutely, you can. If you collect 15 or 20, you won’t be challenged.

If you want to run for Mayor of Harrison, you need 50 signatures from one or more of the Wards or just one ward.

If you want to run for Hudson County Commissioner in November, you need to collect 250 signatures from a combination of voters in Harrison, Kearny, East Newark, Secaucus or a part of Jersey City designated as the 9^th District.  See the 9^th District Map below for details.

Petition Deadline Is June 2, 2026 at 4 p.m.

Candidates seeking to run in the November 2026 General Election must file their nominating petitions by 4 p.m. on Primary Election Day, Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Click here for the Election Petition

Potential candidates should not wait until the final hours of the filing deadline. At the same time, longtime political observers often recommend not filing too early either. You must file your Petition with the Hudson County Clerk's Office in Jersey City, located at 257 Cornelison Avenue,  4th Floor, Jersey City, NJ 07302.

That is because in local elections, there have historically been situations where individuals attempt to block candidates from appearing on the ballot by convincing petition signers to sign a second petition for the same office. In some circumstances, duplicate signatures can create legal complications and potentially invalidate signatures on both petitions.

Candidates should therefore carefully monitor their petition process and verify that signers are registered voters residing in the correct ward (in Harrison) or district (for County Commissioner race).

No Party Line in the November General Election

There are no longer party lines, which evens the playing field in New Jersey elections; candidates in the November General Election are grouped together by the office they are seeking.  Traditionally, the ballot contained party lines, with candidates sharing a column.  Now the ballot is much fairer to candidates as the candidates are placed together for the office they are seeking.  The new law prevents new candidates from being placed to the far right on ballots, which would make it hard to find a candidate not part of a group.

That means candidates for Mayor appear together under the Mayor’s race, while Council candidates are grouped under the specific Council office being contested.

In many cases, municipal candidates running in November may be Republicans, Democrats, Independents, or unaffiliated.

Running for Hudson County Commissioner Requires 250 Signatures

Residents interested in seeking countywide office face higher signature requirements.

A candidate running for the Hudson County Board of Commissioners in District 9 must obtain at least 250 valid signatures from registered voters residing within the district.

District 9 currently includes residents from:

• Harrison
• Kearny
• East Newark
• Secaucus
• Portions of Jersey City

As with municipal races, candidates are encouraged to obtain substantially more than the minimum required number of signatures on their Petition.

Map of the 9th District, Hudson County

Voter Participation Can Shape Harrison’s Future

Local elections often have the greatest direct impact on residents’ daily lives. Decisions involving redevelopment, property taxes, public safety, parking, quality-of-life issues, and major projects are often made at the municipal level.

Despite that reality, turnout in Harrison's local elections remains extremely low.

In recent municipal elections, fewer than 10% of registered voters have participated. That means a relatively small number of residents effectively determine who gets elected and re-elected.

Political observers have noted that Harrison’s 2nd Ward alone has grown so substantially due to redevelopment that if even approximately 50% of registered voters in that ward participated in a local election, the ward could determine the outcomes of both a mayoral and a council race.

That reality highlights the growing political importance of Harrison’s redevelopment neighborhoods and the importance of civic participation throughout all four wards.

Democracy Requires Participation

Voting remains one of the most important rights citizens possess in a democratic society. Local elections determine your quality of life.  Whether you get treated the same as the other part of town with free parking on side streets, or you get tickets because there is metered parking throughout your neighborhood near the PATH station, and the Mayor & Council said there was nothing they could do at the Council meeting about giving residents some free resident parking like the other side of town.  Or the Mayor & Council, including the Councilman running for Hudson County Commissioner, support a Toxic Sludge Plant across the street from your apartment building.  Your vote can make a difference in your quality of life in Harrison.   The Mayor & Council members said NO to resident free parking and said YES to Toxic Sludge in the neighborhood because they looked at the number of voters who came out in the last election and realized there are a lot of registered voters, but very few come out and vote in local elections.

Residents who are dissatisfied with local government, high rents, taxes, parking policies, or other issues can ultimately influence change by participating in elections.

Whether running for office, signing petitions, attending meetings, or simply casting a ballot, participation by residents is what keeps local democracy functioning.

Remember, Early Voting runs from Tuesday, May 26, 2026, through Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and then Sunday, May 31, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  There is no Early Voting on Monday, June 1, 2026.  Primary Election Day Voting is on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in the voting place by 8 p.m., you get to vote no matter how long the line is. Your Sample Ballot, which you should have, will tell you your voting location, or you can look it up online through this link.

We encourage you to share your thoughts on the Community Discussion Board after reading this article.

For those not yet registered, participation is free and open to anyone who wants to stay engaged with Harrison’s local events, businesses, and community conversations.  It's a Free Membership. Sign up today and be part of the conversation.