Morris PlainsNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Morris Plains Mayor & Borough Council Election 2026

2 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Early in-person voting (Oct 24): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters elect a mayor for a four-year term and choose up to two of four candidates for two at-large, three-year Borough Council seats. The other four council seats are not on this ballot.

Early in-person voting · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Affordable housing settlement3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe borough settled its fourth-round affordable housing obligation at 20 affordable units, and the council adopted the zoning ordinances in March 2026.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee development on the overlay-zone sites and any later changes to the housing plan.

02McDonald's drive-through and the master plan3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Planning Board approved a McDonald's drive-through on Speedwell Avenue in December 2024, but NJDOT later denied its request for left-turn access.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide when and how to revise the master plan and what uses to allow in business zones.

03Police station and Borough Hall renovation4 sourced facts

Where it standsVoters rejected a police building question in 2025; the borough is now planning a renovation of and addition to Borough Hall and the police building.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether to approve and how to pay for the police department renovation.

04Budget and the spending cap2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted a $14,581,763.42 municipal budget for 2026 in May.

What's on the tableThe next council will set the 2027 budget and decide how to use spending-cap room.

05Data center ordinance2 sourced facts

Where it standsCouncil members were still drafting a data center ordinance at the Oct. 1, 2026 council meeting.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether and how to restrict data centers in the borough.

5 notes on these statements

Sal Cortese resigned from the Borough Council in April 2026. Borough Council meeting minutes, Apr. 2, 2026 · Apr 2, 2026

On April 15, 2026, the council appointed Kelly Kulick to the vacant council seat. Borough Council meeting minutes, Apr. 15, 2026 · Apr 15, 2026

Kelly Kulick's council term expires December 31, 2026. Borough of Morris Plains

Jason C. Karr, supported by the Democratic organization since his first council term in 2007, is running for mayor as an Independent; the borough Democratic organization endorsed Nancy Verga. Morristown Green · Mar 24, 2026

Jason C. Karr and Nancy Verga both took part in the League of Women Voters mayoral debate on Oct. 8, 2026. Morristown Green · Oct 9, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. How should Morris Plains handle its state affordable-housing obligation?

  2. 2. Should drive-through restaurants be a permitted use in the B-2 business zone?

  3. 3. When should the borough revise its master plan with community input?

  4. 4. How should the borough use the state's budget spending cap?

  5. 5. Should Morris Plains restrict data centers by ordinance?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted6 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Bill Houston, Michael Ivey, Tyler Pontier2 on this ballot

6 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • Morris Plains has a borough form of government: a mayor and six council members, all elected at-large. Borough of Morris Plains
  • The mayor heads the governing body and is elected to a four-year term; council members serve three-year terms. Borough of Morris Plains
  • Each council member is assigned a portfolio of responsibilities by the mayor. Borough of Morris Plains
  • The county candidate list shows a mayor contest with two candidates and a Borough Council contest for two seats with four candidates; no Republican was nominated for mayor. Morris County Clerk

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