Election Update

Assemblyman Jerry Green called to say a campaign flier stating Third Ward Councilwoman Gloria Taylor is up for re-election has been corrected. Taylor is an appointee who is now seeking election to the unexpired term of former Third Ward Councilman Adrian O. Mapp, who took office as mayor on Jan. 1. Plaintalker had pointed out the discrepancy in a post on voter education.

Green, who is also chairman of the Democratic Party for Plainfield and for Union County, said the Regular Democratic Party of Union County will be reaching out this year to independents to vote for the party line. He noted that the city has a large number of independent (unaffiliated) voters and that they can declare a party affiliation at the polls for the June 3 primary.

The League of Women Voters of New Jersey explains the rules on its web site.

Plaintalker checked the Union County Board of Elections Voter Registration Summary and the latest, dated March 4, shows Plainfield has 13,158 registered Democrats, 874 Republicans and 7,998 unaffiliated voters. Three City Council seats are up, for four-year terms in the First Ward and in the Second & Third Wards at-large category, and for an unexpired term to Dec. 31, 2016 in the Third Ward. By ward, the breakdown is 3,072 Democrats, 112 Republicans and 2,054 unaffiliated in the First Ward; 3,886 Democrats, 461 Republicans and 2,145 unaffiliated in the Second Ward and 3,827 Democrats, 226 Republicans and 1,760 unaffiliated in the Third Ward. There is no council seat up in the Fourth Ward this year.

The Board of Elections posts voter registration numbers before the primary and again before the November general election.independent (Scroll down to see Plainfield's numbers by ward, district and affiliation.)

A lawsuit was filed last month to open the primary to all registered voters. The state funds the primary election, but at present only Democrats and Republicans can take part. The lawsuit says unaffiliated voters make up 47.6 percent of registered voters, but must join a party to take part in the primary. The lawsuit seeks to allow unaffiliated voters to take part without having to join a party.

--Bernice