Hoboken Residents Gather to Learn About Ranked Choice Voting Through Cheese Tasting

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More than 100 Hoboken residents packed the local library to learn about ranked choice voting by tasting different cheeses. The event, hosted by local officials and activist groups, aimed to educate voters on how this alternative voting system could improve local elections by allowing them to rank their preferred candidates.

Why it matters

Hoboken recently held a mayoral election where none of the six candidates received a majority of the vote, leading to a heated runoff election that saw a significant drop in voter turnout. Ranked choice voting is seen as a way to ensure the candidate most preferred by voters wins, even if they are not the first choice of a majority.

The details

The library event used different cheeses to demonstrate how ranked choice voting works. Attendees were able to rank their favorite cheeses, similar to how they would rank candidates in an election. Local officials, including Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, Councilwoman Liz Urtecho, Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, and Mayor Emily Jabbour, were present to discuss the benefits of ranked choice voting and encourage residents to sign a petition supporting a change in state law to allow this voting system.

• The event took place on Monday, April 14, 2026 at the Hoboken library.
• Hoboken held its most recent mayoral election in November 2025, which led to a runoff election on December 2, 2025.

What they’re saying

What’s next

State Senator Raj Mukherjee said he is supporting legislation to change state law to allow ranked choice voting, which would need to be passed before Hoboken could implement the system in future elections.