New Jersey Statutes Title 40A. Municipalities and Counties 40A § 16-19

a. In municipalities holding elections for municipal officers at the time of a general election, the municipal committees of the political parties in the municipality shall, no later than 15 days from the expiration of the time fixed in N.J.S. 40A:16-14 for the filling of a vacancy by appointment or from the happening of the events set forth in N.J.S. 40A:16-15, 40A:16-16 and 40A:16-17, select their candidates for election to the office, and file a statement of their selections with the municipal clerk. The statements so filed shall conform to the provisions of R.S. 19:13-20. Other candidates for election to such office shall be nominated by petition in the manner set forth in subsection b. of this section.

b. In municipalities holding regular municipal elections, nomination shall be by petition in writing filed with the municipal clerk. The petition shall be signed by a number of the registered and qualified voters of the municipality if the successor is to be elected at large, or of the ward if the successor is to be elected from a ward, equal to at least 0.5% of the total number of votes cast in the municipality, or ward, as the case may be, at the last preceding general election at which members of the General Assembly were elected, but in no case shall such petition be signed by fewer than 25 such voters. The petition shall be filed with the municipal clerk no later than 15 days from the expiration of the time prescribed in N.J.S. 40A:16-14 for the filling of a vacancy by appointment or from the happening of the events set forth in N.J.S. 40A:16-15, 40A:16-16 and 40A:16-17. The municipal clerk shall forthwith examine the petition, and, if he finds it to be defective in any particular, he shall return the petition to the person nominated thereby setting forth his reasons in writing. Within 3 days after its return, the petition as corrected may be refiled with the municipal clerk.