HOBOKEN – The ballot drawing for the upcoming Nov. 3 elections for Hoboken’s Board of Education and City Council was released Friday, Sept. 11. Two candidates who originally filed to run in August did not appear on the ballot.
Of the eight residents to file for the Hoboken Board of Education on Aug. 31, Diane Rubino did not appear on the ballot. The Hudson County Clerk’s office confirmed that Rubino withdrew from the election. She was not immediately available for comment.
The candidates currently on the ballot, for the 3 out of 9 seats, are Patricia Waiters, Sheillah Dallara, Addys Velez, Britney Montgomery, Alanna Kauffmann, and John Madigan.
The school board, which sets budgets and selects the superintendent for Hoboken’s traditional public schools, will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 general election.
After Trustees Ruth Tyroler and Jean Marie Mitchell opted not to file to defend their seats – since their terms are set to expire this year – Trustee Tom Kluepfel will be the only incumbent running this year.
The ballot, for the 6 out of 9 seats that will vacate this year in the City Council, includes all previously-reported names (See: “15 to run for six spots on City Council”) with the exception of Melissa Blanco.
Blanco, who originally filed for the 5th Ward, was removed from the ballot after not meeting the requirement of 59 valid signatures, or 1 percent of the registered voters in her ward, which is necessary to make the ballot, Hoboken Deputy Clerk Jerry Lore said.
The clerk’s office could not comment on whether Blanco could be reinstated to the ballot following any legal action she may take.
In a prior interview, Blanco said all of the 80 signatures she originally submitted were valid by “New Jersey case law.” She also said that regardless of whether she appears on the ballot she will run – even if forced into a write-in campaign.
Melissa Blanco was not immediately available for comment.