Delran referendum to consider moving municipal elections to fall

Delran residents will vote this fall on whether to move their municipal elections from May to November, the Township Council decided last night.

Delran is among about 80 New Jersey towns with nonpartisan municipal races. Local candidates are not identified by party affiliation on the ballot and elections are held in May, rather than alongside county, state, and national races in the fall.

In a meeting yesterday, the Township Council voted to create a November referendum question about switching to partisan elections. The change to November elections would save the municipality money and increase voter participation, officials said.

Councilman Mark Macey said in an interview that he preferred the nonpartisan May elections because they focused on issues exclusive to Delran.

But, besides the problem of low voter turnout, he said, "we can no longer afford the luxury of having a May election because of how much it costs the township in extra money every year."

There has been concern in some New Jersey communities that a steady parade of fire commission, school board, nonpartisan, primary, and general elections confines turnout at the voting booth to groups of people passionate about a single race.

While counties foot the bill for November municipal elections, towns that hold nonpartisan elections generally pay for the voting equipment, ballots, poll workers, and other expenses themselves. In Delran, officials expect to save up to $40,000 by converting to partisan elections.

Legislative proposals that address the issue have stalled in recent years.

Whether to consolidate election dates "is a legitimate question to pose to the voters," said William Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

Officials in nonpartisan municipalities Bordentown City, Haddonfield, and Audubon say they do not plan to change. The towns have just three commissioners and hold May elections every four years, making potential savings less of an issue.

But a measure similar to Delran's was approved recently in Evesham, where the cost of holding nonpartisan elections every other year can run $50,000, and the last, three months ago, saw a voter turnout of just 13.3 percent.

Evesham's Democratic-controlled Township Council in June approved putting the question on the November ballot, but newly elected Republican Deputy Mayor Joe Howarth presented an ordinance that would repeal the Democrats' measure. Howarth's ordinance was voted down at a raucous meeting two weeks ago, but the Township Council has opted not to revisit the proposal.

Howarth said in an interview that the switch would force the elections to become more political. "Important things that might come up in town are jumbled in November. People are limited: If you're not backed by a political party, you can't get involved," he said.

In truth, candidates in nonpartisan towns commonly receive backing from political parties. Howarth and his running mates, council members Kurt Croft and Debbie Hackman, received donations from Republican political-action committees. Evesham Mayor Randy Brown and Councilman John McKenna, both Democrats, received substantial campaign cash from sources affiliated with their party in 2007.

Both slates have paid a company that uses technology to help get out the vote. Efforts to get voters to the polls are key in the off-season elections, when residents are less motivated.

The ballot referendum has been less controversial in Delran, where the Township Council is governed 3-2 by Democrats and the mayor, Ken Paris, also is a Democrat. Paris and Councilmen John Moran and Gary Catrambone made the issue part of their 2008 campaign as running mates.

"I think everybody knows that there's Democrats and Republicans [in nonpartisan towns], and I think for $40,000 it's something that we can change without much of a drastic situation in the town," Paris said.