The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Committee favorably reported S-3519, which makes various changes to primary election, vacancy, municipal referendum, and mail-in ballot mailing deadlines.
On Thursday, the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Committee favorably reported S-3519, which makes various changes to primary election, vacancy, municipal referendum, and mail-in ballot mailing deadlines.
This legislation makes the following changes to current law:
- The deadline for all municipal clerks to make, certify and forward to the county clerk a statement designating the public offices to be filled at such election, and the number of persons to be voted for each office changes from the 57th day preceding the primary election for the general election to the seventh day after the last day for the filing of petitions for the primary election for the general election;
- The deadline for county clerks to certify to municipal clerks the names of all of the persons certified by the Secretary of State, the names of all persons endorsed in petitions filed in the clerk’s office specifying the political parties to which the persons so nominated belong is changed from the close of business on the 54th day prior to primary election day to no later than the close of business of the 10th day after the last day for the filing of petitions for the primary election. This information, other than for candidates for federal office, is also transmitted to the Election Law Enforcement Commission;
- The deadline for drawing the names of the candidates to determine their position on the primary election ballot is changed from the 54th day prior to the primary election for the general election at three o’clock in the afternoon to the 10th day after the last day for the filing of petitions for the primary election for the general election at three o’clock in the afternoon; and
- The deadline for a copy of a municipal referendum resolution concerning the retail sale of certain alcoholic beverages to be submitted to the county clerk is changed from 30 days prior to the next general election to at least 67 days before the next general election. The longer timeframe provides the county clerks with additional time to process ballot design and production and provide consistency to the election timeline for purposes of municipal referendums concerning alcoholic beverages.
The League supports this measure because it provides clarity for the election timeline and urges the full Senate to consider the measure.
Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.