How to Run for New Jersey State Senate
Running for the New Jersey State Senate provides a way for New Jersey residents to play a more active role in government and politics by helping write state laws. When seeking elective office, candidates for the State Senate must meet certain qualifications and follow specific procedures. Any candidate who wins election to the Senate will take over one of 40 seats in the Senate chamber, which is located in the State House in Trenton.
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Things You'll Need
- Signatures on candidate-nominating petitions
- New Jersey Disclosure of Criminal Conviction form
Instructions
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Verify that you meet the basic qualifications to run for New Jersey State Senate. Under the New Jersey Constitution, you must be at least 30 years old by the time you would be sworn in to office. You also must be a legal voter in New Jersey by the time you file your nominating petition. You must live in New Jersey for at least four years and in your legislative district for at least one year by Election Day.
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Pick up nominating petitions from the New Jersey Division of Elections or its website. Collect signatures on the nominating petitions from at least 100 voters who live in the New Jersey State Senate district you want to serve. The state is divided into 40 sections -- or districts -- of roughly equal population. A candidate for the New Jersey State Senate must live in the district that he or she wants to represent. Submit the nominating petitions and signatures to the Division of Elections office in Trenton on or before the established deadline.
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File a Criminal Conviction Disclosure form at the same time you file your nominating petition with the Division of Elections. This document, which is available on the Division of Elections' website, directs you to check one of two boxes. One box states, "I have not been convicted" of any criminal offense. The other box states, "I have been convicted" of a crime. Anyone who marks the second box must explain the nature of the crime, the date and place of conviction and the penalties that resulted from the conviction.
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Follow state rules about filing disclosure reports on your campaign funds. These rules are extensive, and you can find them online. Basically, any candidate for elective office in New Jersey must file periodic reports detailing how much money his or her campaign fund collects and spends. New Jersey law imposes limits on campaign contributions, with the limits depending on various factors. For example, an individual may give a maximum of $2,600 per election to a candidate's committee.
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References
- Photo Credit directional vote sign image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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Can I find 100 Democrats in the First Legislative District who would sign a petition for me for State Senate? Someone needs to challenge Jeff Van Drew.
