The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-08-16
ARE ALL AT SEA
Officials Doesn't Know What
to Do Under the
Meeker Act.
LAW is AMBIGUOUS
Conference in This County
Will Try to Straighten
Out the Muddle.

As the time for holding the combined
municipal County and State elections un-
der the Meeker monstrocity, which the
Republican Legislature passed last winter
for the purpose of gaining votes for their
ticket, the officers having charge of the
elections throughout the State are in a
deep perplexity. just what to do they
don't know, and careful study of the
so-called Meeker law refuses to give
them any light on the dark subject.
The section of the law which provides
for the merging of the two laws is the
first, and it provides that Hereafter in
all cities in this State all officers required
TO be elected therein at any municipal or
charter election, shall be voted for and
elected on the first Tuesda yafter the
first Monday of Nocember in each year,
and with the same registration and upon
the same official ballots required by
law for the election of State and
County officers and not otherwise.
and the said ballots voted as aforesaid
for such officers shall be canvassed and
the result of any such election therefore
shall be determined as now provided by
law in the case of county officers and
certified to the clerk of such city, it be-
ing the intention hereby to consolidate the
municipal or charter election iii cities
with the general or State election
This is plain enaugh in one particular,
and that is the question of official ballots
1t is apparent at a glance that the candi-
dates for municipal offices are to be
placed upon the same ticket with the
State and county officers. and that they
are to be certified as official ballots by
the county clerk. It is also apparent at
glance that it leaves great deal in
doubt under the existing law. If the old
law was in operation, when much was
left to the discretion and common sense
of the officials there would be very little
doubt as to how to proceed. but under
the present election law, commonly spok-
en- of as .'ths Werts law certain things
are designated which must be done and
in manner specifically set forth which
the Afeeksr naonstrosity makes exceeding
~ difficult if not impossible to do.
The Werts law, after setting forth that
all nominations for State officers and
Congressman should be filed with the Sec
retary of State and all nominations for
county officers with the county clerk,
provides that "All other certificates and
petitions shall be filed with the clerks of
the respective municipalities wherein the
candidates nominated are to be taken.
Tho Meeker law makes no provision for
the filing of certificates of or petitions for
nominations, and the question at once
ar.ses, how does the county clerk know
who to put upon the official ballot as the
candidates for the municipal offices?
''shall the nominations be filed with the
City Clerk. and If so. what authority has
he to certify them to the County Clerk?
It might also be asked how can the
County Clerk place the names of any
candidates upon the official ballots unless
they are certified to him in the manner
prescribed by the General Election law"
This provides explicitly that all nomina-
tions for municipal offices must be filed
with the clerks of the various
municipalities, and as the Meeker
Election law is dumb on the subject the
various officials are in a quandary So
perplexed are they in some of the muni-
cipalities that they are thinking of max
ing no nominations at all. while others
go so far as to suggest that a special
session of the Legislature should be called
to straighten out the muddle.
In this county the authorities have
given the matter much consideration but
have not as yet arrived at any definite
plan of action Mr. Allan McDermott,
City Counsel has declared that he thinks
the nominations for municipal officers to
be elected in Jersey City should be filed
with the County Clerk AS TO the many
other respects in which the Meelser mon
strosity and the general election law con-
ficts, Mr.. McDeTmott suggests that conf
! mittees from the Board of Aldermen meet
with a committee of the Board of Free
holders should meet and arrange the mat
ter definitely. 1t is contemplated 10 have
such committees appointed and to have
the county board of elections and the city
and county legal officers confer with
them Nothing will be done in the mat
ter in this county until such a conference
has been held and definite line of action
agreed upon.