It looks like the 2025 primary will be moved to June 10

There appears to be a consensus between legislative leaders and the governor’s office to move the primary election to June 10 to avoid disenfranchising voters who observe the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, sources with direct knowledge of the discussions told the New Jersey Globe.

The discussion involves moving every election deadline, including the filing of nominating petitions, ahead one week.

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy and everyone deserves the freedom to have their voice heard at the ballot box. We have an obligation to encourage participation and ensure everyone can participate in and trust our electoral system,” said Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin in a joint statement.  “We cannot allow deeply held and legitimate religious beliefs to become a barrier to voting. We support moving the 2025 primary to June 10 and will work together to accomplish that goal.”

Jewish faith and non-profit leaders called for a new election date because observant Jews will not use electronic devices, write, drive, or travel on Shavuot, which begins at sundown on June 1 and ends at 9:14 PM on June 3, the scheduled primary date.  Federal and state lawmakers, including Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) and Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), sought political support for the moving of the primary; Murphy was quick to indicate support.

A one-week delay in the primary could impact the campaign for governor, where candidates participating in the state’s gubernatorial public financing program that caps primary spending at $8.7 million.

Ten candidates have already begun spending with a budget that ends on June 3 and will now need to extend their overhead to carry an extra week.  The draft legislation does not authorize the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission to increase the spending cap.

Primary dates have been moved before: in 2001, the primary was held on the last Tuesday in June after slow-arriving U.S. Census data delayed legislative redistricting; and in 2020, the primary was moved to the first Tuesday in July to accommodate a primary held almost entirely through by vote-by-mail ballots during the pandemic.