Overview

New Jersey is sliced up in various ways: Congressional districts (13), Legislative districts (40), counties (21) and municipalities (566). Each one corresponds to a different form of government. New Jersey also has school districts and fire districts that are governmental entities. Each school district is an independantly chartered entity, which, except in a few cities, elects its own Board of Education. School districts usually, but not always, comprise one municipality. Typically, school taxes far exceed municipal and county taxes and make up over half a resident's tax bill.

Federal Representation

New Jersey has 13 Representatives - one represents each Congressional district (see map on right, click for larger version) in the United States House of Representatives. Also, two Senators are elected state-wide to represent New Jersey in the United States Senate. There are currently 7 Democratic and 6 Republican Representatives, and 2 Democratic Senators. The current U.S. Congressional delegation from New Jersey:

Senators

Jon S. Corzine (D)
Frank Lautenberg (D)

Representatives

Robert E. Andrews (D)
Frank A. LoBiondo (R)
H. James Saxton (R)
Christopher H. Smith (R)
Scott Garrett (R)
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D)
Michael Ferguson (R)
William J. Pascrell, Jr. (D)
Steven R. Rothman (D)
Donald M. Payne (D)
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (R)
Rush D. Holt, Jr. (D)
Robert Menendez (D)

State Government

Executive

At the top of the state government is the Governor, who is elected every four years. He/she appoints many government officials and is considered one of the most powerful governorships in the nation. The governor's mansion, Drumthwacket, is located in Princeton, not the state capital, Trenton.

Voters recently approved the creation of a Lieutenant Governor position, which will take effect in 2009.

Legislative

There are 40 NJ State legislative districts (see map on right, click for larger version), each represented by 2 Assembly members serving 2-year terms (elected in odd-numbered years), and 1 State Senator (who serve 2, 4, and 4 years each decade, elected in years ending in 1, 3, and 7). The districts often cut across County lines. Democrats currently have a 48-32 advantage in the State Assembly and a 22-18 advantage in the Senate.

You can use this page, which lists legislative districts based on municipalities, to identify your legislative representatives.

Visit the New Jersey Legislature's web site for more information on legislators and legislation.

Judicial

The NJ Supreme Court consists of 7 judges all appointed by the governor - a chief justice plus six associate judges.

County Government

New Jersey has 21 counties (see map on right, click for larger version). New Jersey is the only state where elected county officials are called Freeholders, which serve on the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Each county has up to 9 freeholders. In Five counties, the executive tasks are performed by an elected County Executive. In other counties, the Board of Chosen Freeholders performs both the executive and legislative tasks. In these cases, a County Administrator or County Manager can be hired to perform day-to-day administrative functions. Other constitutionally required and elected county offices include Clerk, Surrogate and Sheriff, each administers their operations independently from the rest of county government.

Local (Municipal) Government

New Jersey has 566 municipalities. For a map of New Jersey's municipalities, click here (pdf). There are five different types of municipal government that became recognized by the Home Rule Act of 1917: borough, township, city, town and village. The most common is the borough.

Each municipality can be classified as one of 12 different forms of government:

Borough, Township, City, Town, Village, Commission, Council-Manager Act of 1923, OMCL Mayor-Council Plan, OMCL Council-Manager Plan, OMCL Small Municipality Plan, OMCL Mayor-Council-Administrator Plan, and Special Charters.

The Modern forms of government were created by the Walsh Act and the 1923 Municipal Manager Law: three or five member commissions (Walsh Act) and council-manager (Municipal Manager Law)

Passed in 1950 and amended in 1981, the Faulkner Act added four forms of government: Mayor-Council, Council-Manager, Small Municipality and Mayor-Council-Administrator

For detailed information on all 12 forms of government, visit the NJ League of Municipalities website.

Democratic Party Structure

If you're a registered Democrat, you're a member of the Democratic Party. In NJ, you become a Democrat by filing a Party Affiliation form [pdf] with the County Superintendent/Board of Elections, or by voting in any Democratic Primary election (in June), if you have not already declared as a member of another party or Independent. You must register to vote 30 days before an election, and you can only file a party affiliation form after you are registered to vote. Note that if you register as an "Independent", you are barred from voting in primaries. If you are changing your party affiliation, or changing from Independent to a party, the change must be made 50 days before the primary in order to be eligible to vote. (See the Division of Elections Party Resources page for more information)

The Party is organized by County. Each municipality within a county is split up into voting districts. Voting districts are the smallest division and contain only a few hundred residents each. In the Primary Election of every even-numbered year (e.g. June 2006), Democratic voters in each voting district choose a County Committee Man and Woman to represent them in the County party organization. The County Committee people within each municipality select a Municipal Chair and Vice Chair. All the County Committee people within a particular county elect the County Chair and Vice Chair (often referred to as the party bosses).

Duties of County Committee people include nuts and bolts things like registering new voters, finding election board workers (e.g. competent people to run voting machines), serving as "challengers" on election day, GOTV (get-out-the-vote) and other campaign and election support.

They also serve as delegates to the annual County Convention (usually in March), where endorsement votes are held for County, State and National offices. Endorsement of local candidates is up to each municipal committee. Endorsed candidates get to run "in the column" with the Regular Democratic Organization on the Primary ballot. Other candidates are still free to run "outside the column" but face steep odds.

Many communities also have a voluntary Democratic "club", which any registered Democrat can join. These clubs vote to endorse candidates at all levels but have no statutory authority.

Power of County "Bosses"

(coming soon)

Primaries

New Jersey's Presidential primary was in early June, but was recently moved up to the last Tuesday of February, beginning with the 2008 election. There is still a regular primary for other elected offices in early June. To vote in a primary, you must be affiliated with the corresponding party. You become a registered party member by filing a Party Affiliation form [pdf] with the County Superintendent/Board of Elections, or by voting in any Primary election, if you have not already declared as a member of another party or Independent. Note that if you register as an "Independent", you are barred from voting in primaries. If you are changing your party affiliation, or changing from Independent to a party, the change must be made 50 days before the primary in order to be eligible to vote.