MyTownLens | 2026 Clifton Election Guide, Match Quiz & Candidate Stances

🗳️ Official Clifton Voter Guide • Election Day: Nov 3, 2026

2026 Clifton Election Guide & Candidate Matchmaker

Compare all 19 City Council candidates and 6 School Board candidates based on verified interviews, property tax records, and ethics filings.

🧭 Take 60-Second Match Quiz 👥 Browse All 19 Council Candidates

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City Council (Vote 7)

19 running at-large • 4-yr terms • Top vote traditionally becomes Mayor.

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Board of Ed (Vote 3 + 1)

6 running (4 for 3 Full-Term seats + 2 for 1 Unexpired seat) • $293.4M budget (47.7% of taxes).

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100% Healthcare Waiver

All 19 council candidates signed pledge declining taxpayer-funded health benefits.

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Polls Open 6 AM – 8 PM

Tue, Nov 3 • Early voting at Main Library (292 Piaget) • Dropboxes at City Hall & 1232 Main Ave.

📑 9 Sections Below • Click any section to expand

🧭 Candidate Match Quiz: Find Your Top 7 Matches

60-Second Quiz

1 Property Taxes & Municipal Spending

Immediate Tax Freeze & Forensic Audit

Halt municipal spending increases, eliminate no-bid vendor contracts, and freeze the municipal property tax levy.

Balanced 2% Capped Budgets

Keep tax increases within predictable 2% statutory limits to preserve police, fire, DPW, library, and core municipal services.

2 AI Data Centers & Distribution Mega-Warehouses

Strict Zoning Moratorium / Ban

Ban high-density warehouses and power-hungry AI data centers to prevent 18-wheeler truck congestion, noise, and power grid strain.

Selective Commercial Ratables & Smart Growth

Attract clean medical offices, light tech, and commercial ratables to expand the tax base and relieve homeowner burdens.

3 Infrastructure, Flooding & Water Supply

Stormwater Retention & PVWC Oversight

Prioritize regional retention basins along Weasel Brook and Third River, and fight Passaic Valley Water Commission rate hikes.

Road Resurfacing & Pedestrian Safety

Accelerate neighborhood street repaving, eliminate potholes, reline aged sewer mains, and add traffic calming near schools.

4 Dais Governance, Decorum & Charter Reform

Civic Decorum & Collaborative Governance

Restore dignity and professionalism to City Council meetings; end public infighting and support professional city management.

Aggressive Citizen Watchdog Scrutiny

Exercise fierce public oversight, question line-item budget waste, and challenge municipal establishment decisions.

Direct Mayoral Election & Charter Reform

Establish a Charter Study Commission to transition Clifton to a directly elected mayor and ward-based council seats.

5 Neighborhood Housing & Quality of Life

Strict Code Enforcement on Overcrowding

Crack down on illegal multi-family basement/attic conversions, absentee landlords, and commercial vehicle parking on residential streets.

Main & Bloomfield Ave Corridor Revitalization

Support small business revitalization, facade renovation grants, and pedestrian-friendly commercial shopping districts.

6 City Hall & School District (BOE) Collaboration

Aggressive Shared Services Consolidation

Consolidate City Hall and Clifton Public Schools healthcare benefit pooling, vehicle fleet repairs, and joint IT purchasing to save taxpayers millions.

Preserve School Independence & State Aid Advocacy

Respect Board of Education independence, protect classroom education budgets, and lobby Trenton for Clifton's fair share of state school aid.

Select your views above to see which candidates match your priorities.

👥 Meet the 19 City Council Candidates (Vote for up to 7)

19 Candidates

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Showing 19 of 19 Council Candidates

🗳️ What's on Your Ballot: All Offices, Seats & Terms

4 Government Levels

See exactly who and what you are voting for on November 3, 2026, including how each office impacts your local property taxes:

🔍 Background & Ethics Check: Outside Businesses & Public Records

State Ethics Filings • Court Dockets • Public Records

Nonpartisan public records check of outside commercial businesses, state financial disclosure filings (FDS), court records, municipal censures, and ethics inquiries for all Clifton City Council candidates.

📊 Side-by-Side Issue Comparison: Where Candidates Stand

Compare All 19 Candidates

Compare all 19 candidates side-by-side on key issues: Property Taxes, Flooding Mitigation, AI Data Centers & Warehouses, Council Decorum, and Public Safety.

🏫 School Board Candidates: 6 Running (Vote 3 Full-Term + 1 Unexpired)

6 Candidates • $293.4M Budget

School Board Trustees oversee 17 public schools, ~11,000 students, and roughly 47.7% ($3.11 per $100) of your property tax bill. Per the Passaic County Clerk's certified ballot roster, 4 candidates (Canova, Suarez, Estrict-Barnes, Siano) are running for 3 full 3-year terms (2027–2029), and 2 candidates (Lemus, Kasper) are running for 1 unexpired 1-year term (2027):

🇺🇸 State, Congressional & County Races (Senate, Congress & County)

U.S. Senate, NJ-09 & County Commissioners

In addition to local races, Clifton voters elect representation for United States Senate (Class II), U.S. House of Representatives (New Jersey's 9th Congressional District), Passaic County Board of County Commissioners (Full 3-Year & 1-Year Unexpired), and Passaic County Surrogate.

📍 Where & How to Vote: Polling Locations, Dropboxes & Hours

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov 3 • 6 AM – 8 PM

📚 Official Sources & Government Verification Records

County Clerk, NJ State & City Records

Passaic County Clerk: Official 2026 Clifton General Election Sample Ballot (PDF) ↗ Official sample ballot showing exact voting machine columns (1A–19E–6F) for Clifton voters on November 3, 2026.
Passaic County Clerk: Official 2026 Clifton Mail-In Sample Ballot (PDF) ↗ Official front-and-back Mail-In Ballot layout for Clifton (Ward 1–Ward 5).
Passaic County Clerk: Official List of 2026 School Board Candidates (PDF) ↗ Certified roster of all 6 Clifton Board of Education candidates (4 Full-Term + 2 Unexpired 1-Year Term).
Passaic County Board of Elections: Official 24/7 Ballot Drop Box Locations ↗ Verified Clifton drop boxes at Clifton City Hall (900 Clifton Ave) and Community Recreation Center (1232 Main Ave).
NJ Division of Elections: Voter Registration Status & Polling Place Locator ↗ Verify your voter registration status and find your assigned Clifton polling district.
City of Clifton Municipal Clerk: Municipal Election Archive & Notices ↗ Official municipal resolutions, meeting minutes, and election administration.
Clifton Merchant Magazine & Local Press Archives ↗ Candidate forum coverage, editorial profiles, and public statements.

Clifton Taxpayer Watchdog