A school board member in Bergen County didn’t know she was up for re-election this year and never filed a nominating petition, but a Superior Court Judge allowed her on the ballot anyway.
Constantina Hanna, who was elected to a three-year term on the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional Board of Education in 2022, blamed the school board website, which improperly showed her term as expiring in December 2026.
Superior Court Judge Peter Geiger said Hanna acted in good faith and ordered her name to be included on the ballot.
Hanna, a public school teacher in Prospect Park, said that she had “consistently relied on the district’s official website and NJ School Boards member Portal to track the start and end dates of her term, and the inaccurate information posted there directly contributed to the missed deadline.”
“It is not only unfair to penalize a sitting board member for relying on official district records, but it also deprives the voters of East Rutherford of the opportunity to make a fully informed choice in a properly administered election,” Hanna said.
The website initially said Hanna’s term was 2023 to 2026. Now it says: “Term: 01/01/2022- 12/31/2025 (Board seat certified in July 2025 for November 2025 ballot).”
She said denying her a place on the November 2025 ballot “would cause irreparable harm and deprive voters of the right to consider a fully qualified candidate who is deeply committed to the community of East Rutherford and who has approached her role as a board member with integrity, diligence and respect for the responsibilities entrusted in her over the last two terms,” Hanna stated in her election challenge.
Hanna also argued that it would “penalize a dedicated public servant for relying on the very systems meant to support transparency and accountability.”
The filing deadline was on July 28; Hanna filed her challenge on August 8, and Geiger issued his order seven days later.
No other candidates filed to run.
