HOBOKEN, NJ —
June 19, 2026 |
By DailyHudson Staff
Patricia Waiters says she submitted enough signatures; the county clerk says no.
Patricia Waiters believed she did everything right. She knocked on hundreds of doors across Hoboken, collecting signatures from registered voters who wanted to see her name on the ballot for Hudson County commissioner. She dropped off her petitions well before the deadline. Then she got the news: not enough valid signatures. Now she’s in court, trying to get her shot.
Waiters, a perennial candidate who has run for office several times before, filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court earlier this month after the Hudson County Clerk’s office determined she did not submit enough valid nominating petitions to qualify for the 2026 Democratic primary ballot. The lawsuit, first reported by the Jersey City Times, seeks to overturn that decision and force the clerk to certify her candidacy.
The details matter. In Hudson County, candidates for county commissioner must collect at least 200 signatures from registered voters in their district. The clerk’s office reviews each signature to ensure it’s from a real, registered voter. Waiters submitted what she believed were enough signatures, but the clerk found a significant number invalid — due to mismatched addresses, unregistered voters, or other technical issues.
Exactly how many signatures were rejected — and why — remains unclear from the initial court filings. Waiters’ attorney argues that the clerk’s office applied overly strict standards and that she should have been given a chance to fix any problems. The lawsuit asks the court to order the clerk to accept Waiters’ petitions and place her on the ballot.
This isn’t Waiters’ first time in the electoral arena. She ran for mayor in Hoboken in 2017, then for city council in 2019, then for state Assembly in 2021. She’s known for showing up at community meetings, posting campaign signs, and pressing the flesh at bus stops and outside grocery stores. “I knocked on so many doors,” Waiters told the Jersey City Times. “I know these voters. I don’t understand what happened.”
But ballot access battles like this are not uncommon in New Jersey. Each election cycle, candidates — especially those without party backing — struggle to navigate the state’s petition requirements. Signatures get thrown out for seemingly minor reasons: a voter signs their name differently than on file, a street address is missing an apartment number, or the petition notary made a mistake. For grassroots candidates, the threshold can feel like a legal minefield.
For voters in Hoboken’s 3rd District — which covers parts of the downtown and midtown neighborhoods — this court fight means the June 2026 primary ballot might look different than expected. If Waiters wins her case, she joins a crowded field of candidates vying for a county commissioner seat. If she loses, voters will have fewer choices.
Either way, the lawsuit highlights a deeper issue: how the ballot access process affects everyday people who don’t have a political machine behind them. “This is about democracy,” Waiters said. “People should have the right to choose who represents them.”
Hudson County Clerk’s office officials have not commented publicly on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation. Representatives say they followed standard procedures in reviewing the petitions.
So what happens next? The court is expected to hear arguments in the coming weeks. A decision could come before the county’s filing deadline for primary ballots, which typically falls in late March. If the judge rules against Waiters, she won’t be able to run this cycle — unless she appeals. If she wins, her name will be printed on the ballots that will be mailed to voters’ homes.
For now, Waiters waits. She hasn’t stopped campaigning. “I’m going to keep talking to people,” she said. “This is bigger than one ballot.”
Source: Jersey City Times