The PCDO holds endorsement votes for elected offices in the Spring before the June primary (June 3, 2008), or in the case of the presidential primary, in January before the new February date for New Jersey (February 5, 2008).

Endorsement votes take place at a general membership meeting and are governed by PCDO bylaws. In order to vote, PCDO members must have paid their yearly dues at least two weeks before the vote.

The endorsement vote for county and state elections will be scheduled to take place before the Mercer County Convention, the date of which is set by the County Chair. The endorsement for local elections takes place before the petition-filing deadline for candidates. For 2008, petitions are due on April 7th.

The 2008 county and state endorsement meeting will be held on March 1 at 4pm at the Suzanne Patterson Center. The local endorsement meeting will be held on March 30 at 7:30pm at the Suzanne Patterson Center.

How to become a candidate: Official candidate petitions, completed with a certain number of valid signatures, are required for a candidate to appear on the June Primary election ballot and must be turned in by the filing deadline. They are available at the municipal clerk's offices at Borough and Township halls. The clerk will also supply information about the requirements for signatures and the number of signatures required -- which is about thirty but it varies according to election turnout in the previous election. Information about rules governing financial contributions and record-keeping are available at the candidate resource page of the New Jersey Division of Elections Website.

To be considered for endorsement by the PCDO, potential candidates should contact the president of the PCDO two weeks before the endorsement meeting at the latest (for local endorsement meeting, March 16). However, if there is going to be a contest, it is recommended that candidates start their "campaigns" for endorsement earlier. PCDO Bylaws allow each candidate one set of mailing labels and two opportunities to send email messages (as part of a group email) prior to the vote. Candidates will also have the opportunity to participate in the endorsement meeting in which each gives a short statement and takes part in a question and answer session.

In order for any candidate to receive the endorsement, he or she must win 60% of the votes of those present and voting. In the case of Princeton Township and Borough, candidates must receive 60% of those in his or her own municipality as well as 50% in the other municipality. Ballot placement is determined by the County Chair, who takes the endorsement vote into account but is not bound to do so by law.

It behooves candidates at all levels to ensure that their supporters in the PCDO have paid their dues. In the past, candidates have recruited friends and supporters to join the PCDO in order to vote. The PCDO welcomes this as membership-building.

Candidates should also contact their respective Democratic Municipal Party Chairs. The municipal party committees are official arms of the Democratic Party, whereby the PCDO is a “club,” or unaffiliated party organization. The municipal committees consist of one male and one female committee person who represent each voting district, plus the chair and vice chair of the committee. The Township and Borough committees operate slightly differently in terms of local endorsements.

Municipal Party Committee Chairs and information:

• Dan Preston, Princeton Township -- to contact click here or call 252-0011. The Princeton Township Democratic Party Committee will also hold an endorsement vote, which takes place at a meeting on the night following the PCDO endorsement meeting. Candidates are encouraged to contact Dan Preston for a list of committee people or get one from the municipal clerk in order to contact the committee people before the vote. Visit the Princeton Township Democratic Committee page for complete information on the Princeton Township endorsement process.

• Andrew Koontz, Princeton Borough -- to contact click here or call 252-0264. The Borough Democratic Party Committee endorsement is determined by the PCDO. The Borough Committee does not take a separate vote or hold a separate endorsement meeting.

 

New Jersey Division of Elections Website