§ 40:45-8 — Petitions of nomination.

4. On or before the 75th day prior to a regular municipal election, the names of candidates for all elective offices shall be filed with the municipal clerk, in the following manner and form and subject to the following conditions: a. The petition of nomination shall consist of individual certificates equal to a number based upon the population of the municipality or ward as ascertained by the last Federal census, as follows: (1) at least 100 in municipalities or wards having a population in excess of 50,000; (2) at least 75 in municipalities or wards having a population in excess of 25,000 and up to 50,000; (3) at least 50 in municipalities or wards having a population in excess of 10,000 and up to 25,000; (4) at least 25 in municipalities or wards having a population in excess of 5,000 and up to 10,000; (5) at least 10 in municipalities or wards having a population in excess of 2,500 and up to 5,000; and (6) at least five in municipalities or wards having a population up to 2,500. b. The petition of nomination shall read substantially as follows: "I, the undersigned, a registered voter of the municipality of .............., residing at ..................................... certify that I do hereby join in a petition of the nomination of .................................. whose residence is at .................................................. for the office of mayor (or councilman-at-large, or ward councilman of the ............ ward, or commissioner, or village trustee, as the case may be) to be voted for at the election to be held in the municipality on the ............, 20......., and I further certify that I know this candidate to be a registered voter, for the period required by law, of the municipality (and the ward, in the case of ward councilman) and a person of good moral character, and qualified, in my judgment, to perform the duties of the office, and I further certify that I have not signed more petitions or certificates of nomination than there are places to be filled for the above office. Signed ......................................................... ." The petition of nomination shall also include a functioning e-mail address for the candidate. Any such petition of nomination which is provided to candidates by the municipal clerk shall contain the following notice: "Notice: All candidates are required by law to comply with the provisions of the 'New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act.' For further information, please call (insert phone number of the Election Law Enforcement Commission)." c. Each petition signature shall be on a separate sheet of paper and shall bear the name and address of the petitioner. The candidate for office and his campaign manager shall make an oath before an officer competent to administer oaths that the statements made therein are true and that each signature to the papers appended thereto is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be, to their best knowledge and belief. The oath, signed by the candidate, shall constitute his acceptance of nomination and shall be annexed to the petition, together with the oath of his campaign manager, at the time the petition is submitted. d. The municipal clerk shall immediately provide the Election Law Enforcement Commission with official certification of the filing or withdrawal of a petition of nomination. e. A candidate shall be permitted to sign or circulate, or both sign and circulate, the petition required to nominate that candidate for elective public office in any municipality holding regular municipal elections. L.1981, c.379, s.4; amended 1983, c.579, s.21; 1985, c.92, s.34; 2009, c.196, s.5; 2010, c.68, s.6; 2011, c.37, s.32; 2018, c.66, s.4; 2023, c.124, s.17; 2025, c.20, s.4.