2023 Primary Election: What To Know In Wayne As NJ Heads To The Polls

WAYNE, NJ — Primary elections are Tuesday in New Jersey, with citizens in Wayne and around the state's 40 legislative districts choosing who will represent the Democratic or Republican parties in local politics.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Wayne. Click here if you do not know your polling place.

Primary Day is June 6 for state legislature candidates, as well as for local races, county commissioner seats, and school board members. The winners of the 2023 primary election will gain their party’s nomination for the general election on Nov. 7.

Who's on the ballot?

Wayne voters will see candidates for city council; county clerk and county commissioner; and state senate and assembly.

The primary races in Wayne and Passaic County are fairly straightforward, as they are uncontested – only one candidate is listed for each party, in each position. Other New Jersey voters have to choose between candidates to see who will be on the ticket Nov. 7, but that is not the case here. Therefore, those local participants who chose Democratic or Republican ballots will see the same names for these spots on June 6 as they will on Election Day in November. Here's a closer look:

Wayne township council

There are contested races coming up in three Wayne wards, where incumbents are seeking to hold their spots.

Wayne’s nine-member council has six members elected to specifically represent neighbors in a section of the township (or “ward”), and three members elected at-large to serve the whole town.

Right now, there are eight Republican members and one Democrat. Mayor Chris P. Vergano, a Republican, is in his fourth term.

Here are the candidates on the ballot for Wayne Township Council.

• Ward 1: Richard Jasterzbski (R-inc.) and Arlene Sullivan (D).
• Ward 2: Al Sadowski (R-inc.)
• Ward 3: Michael Fattal (R)
• Ward 4: Joseph Scuralli (R-inc.)
• Ward 5: Matthew Cavallo (R) and Francine Ritter (D-inc.)
• Ward 6: Jonathan Ettman (R-inc.) and Peter Rosky (D).

Passaic County offices

There will be contested races for county clerk and two county commissioner seats coming up in November, all currently held by Democrats.

Here are the candidates on the ballot for Passaic County Clerk and for two commissioners' seats.

• County clerk (vote for one)
  • Danielle Ireland-Imhof (D, incumbent)
  • Rosemary Pino (R)

• County commissioner (vote for two)
  • Bruce James (D-incumbent)
  • Orlando Cruz (D-incumbent)
  • Kelly Amico (R)
  • Andrena "Andie" Pegel (R)

Legislative races

Wayne is in the 40th legislative district, which is represented by Republicans at the state level: Senator Kristin Corrado, and Assemblymen Kevin Rooney and Christopher DePhillips.

Rooney, the former mayor of Wyckoff, announced last November that he will retire. Essex County Republican Chair Al Barlas succeeded him on the ticket alongside Corrado and DePhillips.

• Senate - vote for 1
  • Kristin Corrado (R-inc.) of Totowa
  • Jennifer Ehrentraut (D) of Hawthorne
• General assembly - vote for 2
  • Christopher DePhillips (R-inc.) of Wyckoff
  • Al Barlas (R) of Cedar Grove
  • Giovanna Irizarry (D) of Totowa
  • Jennifer Marrinan (D) of Wyckoff

All 40 of New Jersey’s legislative districts have elections this year for state Senate and General Assembly seats. A full list of state Senate and General Assembly candidates is on the state’s website.

Where Can I Vote?

In-person polling locations:

Click here to search by address, or check this list if you know what ward and district you are in. A list of Wayne's wards and districts is available on the township website.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Vote by mail:

All primary election ballots must be postmarked by June 6 and received by the Passaic County Board of Elections on or before June 12. You may do so by mailing it, placing it in one of the secure ballot drop boxes around the county, or delivering it in person to the Board of Elections.

There are two ballot drop boxes in Wayne: One is at William Paterson University, in Lot 5's bus stop for NJ Transit. The other is at the township municipal building, in the walkway to the main entrance.

The board of elections mailing address is:

• Passaic County Clerk/Election Division
• Passaic County Administration Building
• 401 Grand Street - Room 130
• Paterson, New Jersey 07505

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot in person was at 3 p.m. Monday. Click here for more information about casting your ballot by mail.