Update: Verona Town Council Election
- Christine McGrath
- Sep 30
- 2 min read
For the first time ever, Verona residents have the chance to vote for up to three non-partisan Town Council candidates in November! As many of the readers of my updates know, in Spring of 2024, the Verona Town Council debated having a voter referendum to ask voters if we should move the May election to November. The Council majority voted against my resolution to have a November 2024 ballot question to ask voters when they wanted to have our local elections. However, after the November 2024 election, there was suddenly the votes from my resistant colleagues to move the election from May to November, and we took formal action to do so in December. My update from December 2nd has a summary on the entire matter which you can re-read here. https://www.christinemcgrathverona.com/post/december-2nd-meeting-summary
So here we are with a competitive Town Council race. Five candidates are running for three positions. You can vote for up to three candidates, meaning you can vote for one, two, or three people.
Myveronanj has posted a series of articles in the last few days that I wanted to highlight.
First, all candidates were interviewed on a series of questions here:
Second, there was a significant article on the pool, and I was asked to provide a statement. You can read the article and my statement here:
Third, two residents wrote a Letter to the Editor on the Emergency Services Complex, which has been circulated widely.
The Verona Juniors are hosting a Verona Town Council Candidates Forum on Tuesday, October 7th at 7 pm at the Verona Community Center. As engaged residents, I encourage you to attend. Residents have the opportunity to ask a question in advance by submitting it in advance here. The deadline to submit a question is October 3rd.
Vote by Mail voters should have already received their ballots by now. If you did not, I recommend you reach out to the Essex County Clerks office to require getting a replacement. Go to essexclerk.com for more information. If you want to vote by mail, there is still time to apply. You can go to the Clerk's website to download an application, or stop by Town Hall to pick one up.
Early voting starts at the Verona Community Center on Saturday, October 25th at 10 am and runs through Sunday, November 2nd. Early voting hours are 10 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday, and 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays. In encourage everyone to vote early to for this election, especially those that have planned vacations due to Teachers Convention.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th from 6 am to 8 pm at your normal polling place.
Local elections are typically decided by just a few votes. Look at what the candidates are saying, their skills, and what they have accomplished before you make an informed choice this November.
Please reach out with any questions. Thank you for being an informed, engaged resident!