Harrison is governed under the Town form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 9 municipalities (of the 565) statewide that use this form. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and Town Council, all of whom are elected on a partisan basis as part of the November general elections. A mayor is elected directly by the voters at-large to a four-year term of office. The Town Council is comprised of eight members who are elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat from each of the town's four wards up for vote one year, one seat from each of the four wards up the next year and then two years with no elections.