Run for office in Essex County, NJ.

Offices with upcoming filing dates and elections.

Essex County has 7 county-level races on the upcoming ballot, with the nearest filing deadline on June 2, 2026. There are also 2 school board and local district races open to Essex County residents.

School board & local district races

Office Election date Filing deadline
Newark City School Board Apr 20, 2027 TBD
Newark City School Board Apr 18, 2028 TBD

About these offices

Local school board members are responsible for overseeing school operations within the district, typically including employment decisions regarding a district superintendent.

Essex County races

Office Election date Filing deadline
Essex County Executive Nov 3, 2026 Jun 2, 2026
Essex County Commissioner - At Large Nov 3, 2026 Jun 2, 2026
Essex County Commissioner - District 2 Nov 3, 2026 Jun 2, 2026
Essex County Sheriff Nov 2, 2027 Jun 8, 2027
Essex County Surrogate Nov 7, 2028 Jun 6, 2028
Essex County Register Nov 6, 2029 Jun 5, 2029
Essex County Clerk Nov 5, 2030 Jun 4, 2030

About these offices

The County Executive is the chief executive officer of the county. The executive is generally given full responsibility for the total operation of all departments in the county.

The County Legislature or Executive Board is the governing body of the county and exercises broad policy-making authority. The Board is charged with implementing policy and overseeing the county budget process and allocation.

The County Sheriff is the chief law enforcement official of the county and is responsible for ensuring that all local, state, and federal laws are followed.

This County Court Judge is responsible for adjudicating cases in Civil and Criminal Courts at the trial-level in the certain specific areas of probate or surrogate matters.

The County Recorder, Register of Deeds, or Register of Mesne Conveyance is the officer responsible for keeping records of vital statistics, notarized deeds of trust, and other deeds affecting real property.

County clerks are responsible for the recording of deeds, mortgages/property liens, passports & photos, notary public commissions, vote-by-mail ballots, DD214 recording, veteran & county ID cards, trade names, notary services, college chargebacks, tax maps & filed maps, historical records, newspapers & archival microfilm, and wedding ceremonies.

Browse cities in Essex County

Select your city to see municipal races alongside Essex County races.

Find offices for your address

Enter your address to see every office you're eligible to run for and how to get on the ballot.

Election data sourced from BallotReady / CivicEngine and updated weekly.