Senate President Sweeney says he regrets moving back the state’s budget deadline, according to Politico NJ.

From Bergen County: Gerald Reiner says Teaneck voter participation in the May 12th election is “out of control.”

Already up to 8,700 ballots cast.

“It’s extremely disheartening, what had occurred, what the Council President wrote and put on her Facebook, and however it got there doesn’t make a difference. You know, as elected officials, we have to hold ourselves to a higher degree, and stay out of this kind of discrimination. I emphatically don’t condone any kind of discrimination, period,” Assemblyman Robert Karabinchack (D-Middlesex) told Our Edison. Read the full post here.

The council presidency of the Paterson City Council hangs in the balance on Tuesday as Council President Maritza Davila looks to hold together a configuration of support that will enable her to retain the local legislative seat of power.

Davila has been aggressively focused on COVID-19 crisis response, routinely clashing with Paterson Health Director Paul Persaud.

But there’s also an ongoing election.

Everything is political.

In key batlegrounds her side is pulling for Jackson (Ward 1), Khalique (2) and Méndez (3).

For the record, she has only endorsed in 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.

Those forces aligned with Mayor Andre Sayegh prefer Redmon (1), Aktaruzzaman (2) and McKoy (3).

McKoy – who himself ran for council president in past years – backed Davila for the council presidency but figures to go elsewhere if he wins again.

Three more ward seats appear safe for incumbents Cotton (4) Velez (5) and Abdelaziz (6).

What happens in the battlegrounds could determine the council presidency come reorganization.

“I haven’t considered it as of yet,” said At-Large Councilwoman Lilisa Mimms. Her name is on the street as a potential challenger to Davila. “It’s really not about the presidency; it’s about moving the city forward.”

He’s back, the man who bagged former Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres.

According to Jonathan Dienst of NBC News:

“Hundreds of vote-by-mail ballots in Paterson may have been improperly bundled – with those votes possibly being improper or illegal, election and postal officials said Monday.

“Postal authorities have informed the Passaic County Board of Elections about the potential violations involving vote-by-mail ballots – ballots they discovered by the hundreds in some mailboxes. Those votes will be reviewed by election officials on Tuesday to decide if they are legitimate or fraudulent.”

To read the full story, please go here.

Lamont Repollet, Ed.D., the New Jersey Commissioner of Education and a Kean alumnus, will become the 18th leader of Kean University. The Board of Trustees announced the appointment on Monday, May 11, following a unanimous vote in support of the thoughtful and charismatic educator.

Governor Murphy said: ‘I wish Lamont and his family nothing but the best in his next endeavor, and know Kean University is in good hands with him at the helm.’

Incumbent Third Ward Councilman Bill McKoy expressed confidence Monday night in the face of a May

12th election deadline for voters exercising their franchise in an historic all-vote-by-mail (VBM) election.

He believes he will win over challenger, former At-Large Councilman Alex Mendez.

But he had less overall confidence in the VBM-process, and as Governor Phil Murphy mulls how to handle the coming July 7th Primary elections in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, with a posible announcement by week’s end, McKoy had a few on-the-ground thoughts.

“They would have to do a major scrub and change it drastically to make it work,” the councilman told InsiderNJ.

He acknowledged a “ton of irregularities,”  including what he called a mixed bag on voter registration lists, which include dead people – one of whom McKoy said died 15 years ago. In addition, he said, a lot  of people have not received their ballots.

“There are a lot of extra votes floating in the community, which raises the level of concern,” McKoy said. “The Board of Elections will have to review the process they’re using. As for the Post Office, I understand they are under pressure, but they will have to step up their game.”

Would he advocate an all-VBM primary based on what he experienced in his own ward contest?

“I think the whole idea of affording everyone the opportunity to vote while in this pandemic is a laudable goal,” said McKoy.

To this point, turnout in the 3rd is lightly above where it was in 2016, but not significantly, which is partly why the councilman expressed confidence. “People are still not exercising their franchise though it’s relatively convenient to vote this time.  I do think they can simplify it for people. Clearly, current health concerns are sufficienct to warrant the notion that we need to do this [have an election] with social distancing; though I think that can be accomplished with spacing at the polls.”

Considering the immediacy of his own election, the councilman said again that he believes the numbers favor him over Mendez.

“We should have a good outcome,” he said. “I think in many cases Mendez is a known quantity and more of a confidence guy. The reaction seems to be, ‘You’re not able to sell me that product anymore. We’ve bought the used car.’ He had no message this time around, just catch-phrases on a piece of paper to malign my character. Not very successful.”

Call it street for scandal. This was not only a social distancing violation in Silk City, but an actual bring out the bats episode two days before the vote-by-mail deadline in the Tuesday, May 12th election.