New Jersey Statutes Title 11A. Civil Service 11A § 9-2

The clerk of any county or municipality not operating under the provisions of this title shall submit the question of adopting the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes to the voters of the county or municipality upon the filing with the clerk of a petition requesting the adoption.  The petition shall be signed by the registered voters of the county or municipality equal to 15% of the valid votes cast in the county or municipality during the last general election.  Each name shall be signed in ink and the place of residence indicated by street and number or other description sufficient to identify the place.  Attached to each separate paper there shall be an affidavit of the circulator thereof that the circulator, and only the circulator, personally circulated the foregoing paper, that all signatures thereto were made in the circulator's presence, and that the circulator believes them to be genuine signatures of the persons whose names they purport to be.  Within 10 days from the date of filing the petition, the clerk shall complete an examination and ascertain whether or not the petition is signed by the requisite number of qualified voters and shall attach to the petition a certificate showing the result of the examination.