Wildwood Releases Special Election Timeline

WILDWOOD — Whether residents here have an interest in running in the city’s special recall election or want to cast their vote, they should keep an eye on the election timeline.
Recall Committees, formed last year, endeavored to oust Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. and Commissioner Bill Davenport from office citing the city’s high tax rate and spending. After a court battle, Superior Court Judge Raymond Batten ruled that two petitions had enough valid signatures, 729 signatures for Troiano’s recall and 713 signatures for Davenport’s recall, to prompt an election.
Election packets are now available at the City Clerk’s office. The packets contain the in-formation and petitions candidates need to get their names on the ballot.
Nominating petitions for the seats’ of Commissioners are due 54 days prior to the election, or Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. The petitions must have at least 25 signatures per candidate and the signatures must come from people registered to vote in the city at the time they sign.
On Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. the Clerk will draw lots to determine the order in which the names of candidates or groups of candidates shall appear on the ballot. The drawing will take place in the Commissioners meeting room at City Hall.
Nov. 17 is the last day to register to vote in the special municipal election and Dec. 7, by 3 p.m. from the County Clerk’s Office, is the last day to apply for an absentee ballot in per-son or by designated messenger.
Dec. 8 is election day with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The recall ballot will feature two parts. The first will ask voters whether they want to recall Troiano and Davenport from office. Voters will then be able to vote for Troiano and Davenport’s successors from a list of candidates. Troiano and Davenport can opt to file petitions to appear on that list of candidates or they can choose not to only have their names appear un-der the recall question.
The timeline was released by the Clerk’s Office but is subject to change by the state De-partment of Law and Safety, Division of Elections.