The Hoboken Journal is back in the fray and looking to aid in the petition drive to give voters the choice when to hold its municipal elections.  The Jolly Green Giant will be collecting petitions in midtown on his home block in front of 807 Garden between 7:00 and 9:00 tonight.

From THJ:

In an effort to help with this drive if you are a registered voter in Hoboken and reside here currently (or even if you are not registered) feel free to stop by at 807 Garden Street tonight between 7-9pm and sign both petitions. If I am not outside ring buzzer #6 and I will come down. Alternately you can call me at 917-543-1187 or email me kurt.gardiner@gmail.com. In signing both petitions you simply allow them to get on the ballot and let the people decide if we should move elections to November and/or eliminate the unnecessary run off elections. Hopefully some of you will find my midtown location convenient. 


The petitions seek two important things:


1. Move the Hoboken municipal election from May to the general November election; and
2. Eliminate the run-off election, with the highest vote-getters being declared the winners.


These are petitions whose time has come:


1. Increase voter turnout! By having the election in November, it will encourage greater voter turnout. People know that voting in general elections in November are important, and the bigger the turnout, the fairer the election.
2. Reduce voter fatigue! Never again, will we have so many elections in a single year! 
3. Reduce costs to taxpayers! By consolidating elections, we will save the taxpayers money. Each election costs more than $75,000. This year, the Board of Education elections were moved to November. Let’s keep the momentum going and move the municipal elections to November too!
4. Reduce the costs to the candidates! By having not just one, but two municipal elections (the first round and the run-off), the costs are extraordinary. As a result, too often the candidates need to be independently wealthy, or beholden to special interests that expect payback after election day. 


The deadline is looming and petitions are due on August 15th and about 1500 signatures are needed to ensure there is the correct number of approved petition signatures for both petitions. 


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In addition if you are an uptown resident, another Hobokenite is looking to coordinate with people who wish to sign the petitions.  Please contact them at the following email to make arrangement leaving your name and number at:

Talking Ed Note: The Hoboken Journal has another story and new poll up too.  Take a look:
https://hobokenhorse.com/2012/08/reader-poll-is-beth-mason-truly-evil.html