NOTICE OF BALLOT DRAW: The ballot draw for candidate position on Sussex County’s 2018 General Election ballot (including school board) was held Mon., August 13 in the County Clerk’s conference room. Click the links below to view results of the drawings.
Click to view the ballot order for 2018 General Election candidates.
Click to view the ballot order for School Board candidates held at the 2018 General Election.
Attention Faulkner Candidates: With regard to Candidate Petitions, the information below does not apply to you. Faulkner candidates should contact their municipal clerk to obtain the correct petition and signature requirements for their municipality. Your municipal clerk can also confirm the number of seats open in your town and the terms of those seats.
Offices/Seats To Be Voted in 2018
Click to view a list of available offices to be voted in the Nov. 6 General Election, including school board seats.
Click to view the preliminary candidate list for Sussex County’s Nov. 6 General Election.
Election Dates & Deadlines
2018 Election Dates & Deadlines
A quick reference of important election-related dates appears below.
April 2: Petition filing deadline (4 p.m.) for the June Primary
April 6: Deadline for objections to partisan candidates’ nominating petitions for the Primary
April 11: Deadline for the Determination of Petition Challenge for the June Primary
April 11: Last day to file Party Declaration Forms to change party affiliation for the June Primary
April 13: Ballot Position Draw (3 p.m.) for the June Primary
April 16: Continuing Political Action Committee first-quarter Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
April 21: Clerk’s Office begins to mail ballots to registered voters who requested an Absentee/Mail-in Ballot be sent to them
May 7: 29-day Pre-Primary Election Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
May 15: Last day to register to vote for the June Primary
May 22: Deadline for filing of appointments or applications for Challengers with the Sussex County Board of Elections for the Primary
May 25: 11-day Pre-Primary Election Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
May 29: Deadline for the County Clerk to receive an application for a Mail-In Ballot; this is the last day the Clerk can mail ballots to voters for the June Primary Election (note that voters still can apply and vote in person at the Clerk’s Office up until 3 p.m. June 4)
May 29: Sample Ballots are mailed to all registered voters in the county.
June 1: Challenge to Mail-In Ballots for the Primary Election at the Board of Elections
June 4: Last day to apply in person for a Mail-In Ballot before 3 p.m. at the County Clerk’s Office
June 5: Primary Election Day
June 5: Petition filing deadline (4 p.m.) for Independent candidates for the General Election
June 8: Deadline for amendments to defective petitions for Independent candidates.
June 11: Deadline to file objections to Independent candidates’ nominating petitions for the General Election
June 12: Deadline for successful Primary write-in nominee to file “Acceptance of Nomination” with the County Clerk
June 14: Deadline for Determination of Petition Challenge for Independent petitions for the General Election
June 20: Deadline for Recount of the Primary Election, application to be made with Judge of Superior Court
June 25: 20-day Post Primary Election Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
July 16: Continuing Political Action Committee second-quarter Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
July 30: Petition filing deadline (4 p.m.) for School Board candidates (all petitions are filed with the County Clerk; updated school board petition for individual filing allows for slogan designation, whereas updated school board petition for joint filing allows multiple candidates to file a joint petition with common slogan designation)
Aug. 3: Deadline for objections to School Board candidates’ nominating petitions
Aug. 9: Deadline for Determination of Petition Challenge for School Board petitions
Aug. 13: Ballot Position Draw for November General Election and School Board Election candidates; conducted at 3 p.m. in County Clerk’s conference room, Suite 304 in the Cochran House Building at 83 Spring Street in Newton
Aug. 17: Last day for municipalities and/or county governing bodies to submit to the County Clerk a public question (non-binding) to appear on the General Election Ballot
Aug. 28: Last day for an Independent candidate and School Board candidate to withdraw from the General Election Ballot
Aug. 31: Last day for voters of a municipality to place a public question (non-binding) on the General Election Ballot (submitted by petition and adopted by their governing body)
Sept. 4: Petition filing deadline for a new Nomination Petition to fill a vacancy for an Independent candidate and School Board candidate for the General Election
Sept. 4: Petition filing deadline for Non-Partisan (Faulkner) candidates to be voted at the November General Election
Sept. 7: Deadline for a School Board candidate to withdraw
Sept. 7: Deadline for School Board to submit Public Question for November School board elections to County Clerk
Sept. 10: Deadline to file objections to Municipal Non-Partisan candidate petitions
Sept. 11: Last day for a candidate nominated in the Primary Election to withdraw from the General Election
Sept. 13: Last day to fill a vacancy of Primary Election nominees
Sept. 13: Deadline for determination of petition challenge to Municipal Non-Partisan candidates
Sept. 14: Drawing of ballot positions for Municipal Non-Partisan candidates voted at the November General Election (confirm date and time with respective municipal clerk)
Sept. 22: County Clerk will begin mailing absentee/mail-in ballots to registered voters who submitted a request for same
Oct. 9: 29-day Pre-General Election and Pre-School Board Election Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
Oct. 15: Continuing Political Action Committee third-quarter Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
Oct. 16: Last day to register to vote for the November General Election; Board of Elections will remain open into the evening for registration (call 973-579-0950 for hours)
Oct. 23: Deadline for filing of appointments for Challengers with the Sussex County Board of Elections for General/School Board Election
Oct. 26: 11-day Pre-General Election and Pre-School Board Election Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
Oct. 30: Deadline for the County Clerk to receive an application for a Mail-In Ballot; this is the last day the Clerk can mail out ballots to voters for the November General Election
Oct. 31: Sample Ballots are mailed to all registered voters in Sussex County
Nov. 2: Deadline for application to receive General Election Mail-In Ballots by electronic means for qualified Overseas Civilian and Military voters
Nov. 5: Last day to apply in person for a Mail-In Ballot before 3 p.m. at the Clerk’s Office
Nov. 6: General Election Day
Nov. 6: Deadline to submit Mail-In Ballots to County Board of Election, by 8 p.m. on Election Day
Nov. 21: Deadline for recount applications for the General Election and School Board Election; application to be made with Judge of Superior Court
Nov. 26: 20-day Post-General Election and Post-School Board Election Campaign Finance Report due in Trenton
Candidate Petitions
The following candidate nominating petitions are available from the County Clerk’s Office:
- Primary petition for county offices (Freeholder, Clerk, Sheriff, Surrogate, and State Committee)
- Primary petition for municipal office (Council, Committee)
- Primary petition for Party County Committee
- Independent nomination petition for county or municipal office (available in-person only)
- Independent nomination petition to elect a successor in a recall election (in-person)
- Member of School Board – Joint Petition Member of School Board – Individual Petition
The petition filing deadline for School Board Candidates running in the November General Election is the LAST MONDAY IN JULY, by 4 p.m. Note that school board candidates are now permitted to use a (three-word) slogan and/or file joint petitions if they wish. Visit the NJ School Board Association website for a school board candidate packet. The New Jersey School Boards Association’s 2018 November Election Candidates Kit is now available for downloading: NJSBA Candidates Kit. Residents interested in board member candidacy can download the free kit, which includes information on: Important Dates, How to Become a School Board Member, Frequently Asked Questions, Requirements of the New Jersey School Ethics Act, Criminal Background Checks, Campaign Reporting Requirements, Candidate Briefings.
NOTE! In Sussex County, the use of “nicknames” on the official ballot is not permitted. Your circulated petition(s) should reflect your full and proper name as it appears in the Board of Elections voter registration. If you go by another name or alias and think voters may not readily recognize your name as it will appear on the ballot, you may want to advertise as much to the voting public.
Number of Signatures Needed on a Petition
This information does not pertain to Faulkner candidates. Faulkner candidates should contact their municipal clerk for petitions and petition requirements.
June Primary Petitions – Signature Requirements for Democratic & Republican Candidates:
November General Election Petitions – Signature Requirements:
School Board Candidates: The minimum number of signatures required on a school board petition (regardless of the district) is 10. The candidate may sign his or her petition.
List of Voters Who Live in my District
Candidates who want to reach out to the voters of their respective voting district can obtain “Street Voter Lists” from the County Clerk’s Office. These lists provide voter names, addresses, and party affiliations, and are grouped by Town and District, then in alpha order by Street Name. The lists are printed each October and are available in printed format by calling the Clerk’s Office at 973-579-0900 (there is a fee of 25 cents/district). Candidates can also contact the County Board of Elections for more up-to-date voter lists available in digital format and/or for mailing labels. Call the Board at 973-579-0950 for fees/more information about this service.
Filing Campaign Reports with NJ ELEC
Any candidate who has filed a nominating petition, including school board candidates, must file campaign reports with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) pursuant to the provisions of the New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Act. These reports contain information concerning contributions and disbursements of a candidate’s campaign. Refer to Election Dates/Reports for campaign reporting deadlines. Commencing January 15, 2015 candidates are no longer required to file a copy of their ELEC reports with the county clerk.
Toll free: 1-888-313-3532
Web: www.elec.state.nj.us (for downloading Compliance Manual, forms, and other information)
Fax: 1-609-633-9854
Click here to view candidate reports filed with ELEC NJ.