Scotch Plains Primary Election 2020: Who's Running, How To Vote

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Tuesday's Primary Election in Scotch Plains includes voting for mayor and one Township Council seat for 2020. Fanwood doesn't have a local electoral race this year.

Incumbent Republican Alexander M. Smith is running for re-election as Mayor against current Deputy Mayor and Democrat Joshua G. Losardo.

For Township Council, Incumbent Republican Theodore J. Spera is running against Democrat Ellen Zimmerman.

Josh Losardo, 48, a Democrat who currently works as a small business owner for the past 8 years. Beforehand he worked as an attorney for 15 years. He is also the current Deputy Mayor of Scotch Plains. His family includes his wife Stacey; daughter Ave, 14; and son Ian, 11. Losardo has a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law 1998, and a Bachelor Arts from Binghamton University 1994. Read More: Scotch Plains Primary Election Profile: Josh Losardo

Ellen Zimmerman, 51, has worked as a Human Resource Director at Franklin Food Bank in Somerset since January 2017. Her family includes her husband, Joshua Zimmerman (married since 1996) and children Ali Zimmerman, 21, a senior at New York University; Kelly Zimmerman, 18, a freshman at University of Colorado Boulder; and Jeremy Zimmerman, 15, a sophomore at Scotch Plains Fanwood High School. Zimmerman has a Master of Social Work from the New York University (May 2000) and Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia (June 1991). Read More: Scotch Plains Primary Election Profile: Ellen Zimmerman

Note: Any candidate not listed above did not submit a profile to Patch.

If you are planning to vote in the primary, here's what you need to know about the process:

Where To Vote: In-Person

Polling locations have been decreased by fifty percent; and, therefore, election districts have been consolidated. They will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Scotch Plains

• Park Middle School, 580 Park Ave., Back Gym - Districts 1-5
• Green Forest Clubhouse, 554 Westfield Rd., Meeting Center - District 8
• Evergreen School, 2280 Evergreen Ave., Gym, Enter from Cedar - Districts 6,7,9-11
• William McGinn School, 1100 Roosevelt Ave., Gym - Districts 12-16
• Coles School, 16 Kevin Rd., Gym - Districts 17-21,23
• Southwyck Village, 21 Maddaket-clubhouse, Clubhouse - District 22

Fanwood

• Municipal Building, 75 N Martine Ave., Rear Entrance - Districts 1,2,6,7
• LaGrande Park Building, 3rd St. Entrance, Main Space - Districts 3-5

Mailing Ballots

If you received a mail-in ballot because you are a registered Republican or a registered Democrat, here are the ways you can submit your vote:

• Mail it back, following the instructions on the ballot. It must be postmarked no later than 8 p.m. on July 7, 2020, to be counted in the election.
• Deliver your completed ballot in person to the Board of Elections in your county.
• In Mercer County, the Board of Elections is located at 640 South Broad Street in Trenton.

Vote-By-Mail Drop Boxes

You can also drop your completed ballot off in a secure ballot drop box. The drop boxes are under surveillance 24 hours a day, seven days a week and ballots will be picked up daily.

In Union County, drop boxes can be found in these locations:

• Smith County Courthouse, 102 Main Street, Springfield;
• Lincoln Library, 44 Elm Road, Elmville;
• Union County Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth;
• Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford;
• Plainfield Municipal Building, 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield;
• Union Township Municipal Building, 1976 Morris Avenue, Union;
• Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield.

The deadline for dropping your ballot off in the drop boxes is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.

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