An independent candidate for State Senate in the 29th district was left off the ballot entirely in two Hudson County towns, which could impact the election results certification if state election officials determine that voters were deprived of a choice between all candidates.

Pablo Olivera, a perennial candidate who has run for office fourteen times, filed to run as the Labour Party candidate. He was listed on the ballot in the Essex County portion of the district, but not in Harrison and East Newark.

Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark) won a landslide victory in her bid for a seventh term in the Senate, defeating Republican Maritza Matthews with 83% of the vote, 8,766 to 1,351. Olivera received 181 votes in Essex, and none in Hudson.

It’s doubtful that Olivera would have won even if his name was on the ballot, although it’s mathematically possible that he could have. There are roughly 9,800 registered voters in Harrison and East Newark, and 8,792 of them – about 90% — didn’t vote at all. Ruiz’s margin of victory, 6,415 votes, is less than that.

[Kind of an interesting “oops” when the other fellow had all his ducks in a row. But overwhelming Dem district, seems they can’t get ahold of him, and New Jersey. ~ Beege]