Green Party Elections Chief to NJ: Why do the Democrats and Republicans have a two week and counting head start on petitioning? Update
Editor’s Note: The NJ Division of Elections very suspiciously has given so far a close to 2 week head start to the Democrats and Republicans on petition availability for the NJ state legislature 80 Assembly seats up for elections in 2025. That is an apparent intentional attempt to give unfair advantage with the specious excuse that it has something to do with confused candidates who might grab the wrong petition. So the voters and full set of independent candidates are intentionally maligned when we already have a much bigger hill to climb than the two major parties that are rolling in sleazy funds of industry and the pro-Israel lobby groups.
It comes at a time when this news site has announced an effort to challenge the Assembly seats on the issue of the attempt to destroy our beloved First Amendment free speech protected rights – an attempt to implement forced loyalty to Israel under the false conflation of criticism of Israel as if it is “antisemitism”. Is this an intentional and underhanded misuse of power by the Elections Division? Do they plan to hold the petitions back until they increase the counts and try to force the independents to get more signatures in 2025? What are the real reasons?
The main goal – make them available immediately – these questions become academic. Otherwise these questions are front and center! Editor – FightBackBetter
UPDATE. 1/16 12 Noon: Div of Elections “Linda Told Lisa” they will be posted by end of week and no reason why not yet posted. She refused to explain.
—–Original Message—–
From: Barry Bendar <bbendar@msn.com>
Sent: Jan 15, 2025 10:20 PM
To: Feedback@sos.nj.gov <Feedback@sos.nj.gov>
Cc: jeremy.feigenbaum@njoag.gov <jeremy.feigenbaum@njoag.gov>, Bob Witanek <bwitanek@igc.org>
Subject: Candidate Petition for General Election Availability
The Hon. Tahesha Way, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State
Lt. Governor Way,
I am writing to you to object to how candidate petitioning is being handled by the NJ Division of Elections for 2025 Candidates.
Petitions for the Primary Election, which applies only to Democrat and Republican candidates, have been available on the NJ Division of Elections website for close to two weeks. We’ve yet to see any petitions for the General Election, which applies to 3rd Party and Independent Candidates. I’ve made repeated calls to the Division and was told by one person, that the petitions for the General Election are delayed as to “not confuse” candidates as to which petition they should use.
I find that answer quite weak. If a candidate cannot tell which election they should be petitioning for, they should not be running for office in the first place. What I do know is that by delaying the availability of petitions for 3rd Party and Independent Candidates, they are put at a disadvantage. It gives candidates running with the two major parties a head start in petitioning undeclared and other Voters. As you know, once a voter signs a petition for the Primary Election, it makes them ineligible to sign for another candidate in the General Election. With pending legislation in the air that will make petitioning much more difficult for those not running under the flag of one of the two major parties, the addition of delaying their ability to begin collecting signatures is unacceptable.
As the Division of Elections is supposed to act in a non-partisan manner, I am asking that the petitions for the General Election for use by 3rd Party and Independent Candidates be made available immediately. I consider this delay a violation of election law and an affront to the Civil Rights of every candidate seeking to run with a 3rd Party or as an Independent.
I have copied Jeremy Feigenbaum in the Attorney General’s office and am asking him to make the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey aware of my complaint.
As mentioned, these facts have already put those not affiliated with the Republican and Democrat parties at a disadvantage in getting petition signatures, which we intend to make public. The continued delay would almost make it appear that this is being done intentionally.
I am hoping you will let me know that this issue has been resolved, and can be contacted at the sending email of this note or the phone number below.
Sincerely,
Barry D. Bendar
Elections Chair
The Green Party of New Jersey
(609) 276-3183
*This is an open-letter communication published:
https://FightBackBetter.com/PetitionDelay
