9. a. The candidates from each participating municipality for a consolidation commission formed pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 7 of P.L.1977, c.435 (C. 40:43-66.41) shall be registered voters of that municipality. They may be nominated by petitions signed by the registered and qualified voters of the municipality in a number at least equal to one percent of the total votes cast in the municipality at the last preceding general election at which members of the General Assembly were elected, or by 25 registered and qualified voters of the municipality, whichever is less, and filed with the municipal clerk not less than 40 days prior to the date of the election.

b. Each nominating petition shall set forth the names, places of residence, and post-office addresses of the person or persons therein nominated, and a statement that the nomination is for the office of commission member and that the petitioners are registered voters of the municipality. Every voter signing a nominating petition shall, in addition to the voter’s signature, give the voter’s place of residence, post-office address and street number, if any.

c. Before being filed with the municipal clerk, each nominating petition shall have fixed or appended thereto, or, if the same person or persons are named in more than one petition, fixed or appended to one of such petitions, a written acceptance of such nomination signed by the person or persons nominated therein. Such acceptance shall certify that the nominee is a registered voter of the municipality, that the nominee consents to stand as a candidate at the election and that, if elected, the nominee agrees to take office and serve.

d. Each nominating petition shall be verified by an oath or affirmation of one or more of the signers thereof, taken and subscribed before a person qualified under the laws of New Jersey to administer an oath, to the effect that the petition was signed by each of the signers thereof in each signer’s proper handwriting, that the signers are, to the best knowledge and belief of the affiant, registered voters of the municipality, and that the petition is prepared and filed in good faith for the sole purpose of endorsing the person or persons named therein for election as stated in the petition.

e. If any nominating petition, or any oath, affirmation or written statement attached thereto, is defective, the person designated in the petition for such purpose may cause such petition or oath, affirmation or written statement to be amended in the manner prescribed for the amendment of defective petitions for nominating candidates for general elections in R.S.19:13-13.

L.1977,c.435,s.9; amended 1999, c.58, s.3