Get Out and VOTE!

There is no president or governor at the top of the ticket, so some think this primary is not significant. For Plainfield, perhaps the greatest significance is at the bottom of the ticket - your most grassroots elected representatives, the male and female candidates in the city's 34 voting districts. This year, they are all Democrats and on the Monday after the primary the winning majority will choose a party chairman for the next two years. As anyone who is paying attention can tell you, there are two committee slates. One is the Regular Democratic Organization of Union County at the bottom of Column A and the other is the Union County Progressive Democratic Organization at the bottom of Column C.

The current chairman is Jerry Green, who is also running for re-election to the state Assembly. Green is at the top of the ticket on Column A. Depending which slate prevails at the bottom of the ticket, he may or may not retain his chairmanship.

There are two City Council seats up this year. In the Second Ward, incumbent Cory Storch is in Column C, seeking re-election for a four-year term. Charles Eke, a PMUA alternate who lost a bid for the Second & Third Ward at-large council seat last year, is the Second Ward candidate in Column A. For the First & Fourth Ward at-large council seat, Green is fielding first-time council candidate Steven Hockaday on Column A and Mayor Adrian O. Mapp's Union County Progressive Democratic Organization is backing first-time council candidate Barry Goode on Column C.

So this year, voters in Wards 1, 2 and 4 can vote in the primary for City Council candidates as well as their committee choices at the bottom of the line. Voters in the Third Ward have no council candidates this year, but do have committee choices on Column A and Column C.

In case you are wondering, the sequence of local elections is this:
Ward 1 and Wards 2&3 at-large
Ward 2 and Wards 1&4 at-large (this year)
Ward 3 and Citywide at-large
Ward 4 and Mayor.

I suggest a "bottoms-up" approach to the ballot this year. Some at the top are running unopposed, though there is a freeholder contest. You don't have to vote for any candidates other than those you deem most important to you in whatever column. If you don't like a politician who is the only choice in a given category, just don't vote for that person. But please check your sample ballot, make up your mind, go to your polling place and vote accordingly. Please do not squander your precious right to vote on anyone who tries to buy it from you with "street money" or some promised benefit.

Democratic committee candidates take office immediately and vote on June 8 for a local chairman and on June 9 for a county chairman. Other primary winners and unopposed candidates, along with any independents who file today, go on to the November 3  general election.

--Bernice