Yes, there is an election coming up but it’s not the one everyone is talking about. You’ll have to wait another whole year to cast your ballot for or against Donald Trump. But November 5th is when you can vote on other people and other things.

Every member of the New Jersey General Assembly is on the ballot this year. And there is one open State Senate seat in Atlantic County. Senators have four-year terms but Assembly members must vie for your approval every odd-numbered year.

Hudson and Essex County incumbents have no significant opposition from Republicans or Independents. That doesn’t mean you can stay home, however, and just wish them luck. They need your votes to show their peers they have your support for the next two years.

When final vote tallies are reported you can be sure everyone involved notes the percentages candidates received. If a candidate wins with only a few hundred votes, he or she isn’t respected as much as someone who racked up several thousand, no matter the circumstances. So each vote makes your legislators a little more powerful and able to represent you better.

And of course, there are other positions on the ballot, as well. Frank Schillari is running for another term as sheriff and Freeholder Tilo Rivas wants to switch to being Surrogate. Bayonne’s Neil Carroll III faces three opponents as he tries to hold onto his council seat. Hoboken has a nasty council contest, as usual. Also there are big fights going on over Board of Education seats in several communities.

Jersey City is at war over AirBNB regulations recently enacted by the City Council. Supporters of the new law are urging voters to push the Yes button while opponents are urging a No vote.

Elsewhere in the state, fights over Assembly seats range from mild to wild. Republicans with an eye on the 2020 elections hope to gain seats, but for Republicans to gain control of the Assembly, they’d need to flip 15 seats. Highly unlikely at this time in this place.

Democrats have made huge gains in registration while Republican registration grew more slowly. Ten years ago Dems outnumbered Republicans by about 300,000 but now they count more than a million more. Independent registration remained about the same.

In Burlington, Camden and Atlantic Counties, issues such as support for and opposition to ICE and the NRA make clear distinctions between candidates. In Monmouth and Ocean Counties candidates are assessing whether a soft shift in support for Trump could affect their elections.

In Morris County the sudden death of long-time Senator Anthony Bucco created opportunity for his son, Anthony Jr. to move into his father’s seat. Bucco Jr., declared his candidacy for that while at the same time refusing to relinquish his Assembly seat. The Republican Committee already chose him for the Senate and Senate President Steve Sweeney swore him last week. It was too late to withdraw his candidacy so he’ll be elected to the Assembly but cannot serve there. The Republican Committee will choose someone to take his place until the next election, the June primary.

In the middle of the state, Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, whose law firm’s website promised to discredit sexual assault accusers, is fighting to retain control in a moderate district growing ever bluer, and he seems to be solo-campaigning with little regard for his running mate, Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz.

Voter turnout on November 5th is expected to be depressingly low. Only 22 percent of eligible voters cast ballots the last time Assembly members topped the ticket. But the people who ignore an election might be very unhappy when winners are announced. So VOTE.

A former assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of North Hudson Community Action Corp.

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