Sherrill signs bill allowing seven days of early voting in May elections

Municipalities with May elections can now hold up to seven days of early voting with a new bill signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Monday. 

Under previous state law, municipalities were allowed to implement three days of early voting in nonpartisan May elections, starting four days before the election, with a day off between early voting and Election Day. The newly signed law allows municipalities to begin early voting up to eight days before the election, for a total of seven days of early voting.

“As President Trump attempts to undermine elections and make voting harder through his unconstitutional Executive Order, we will take every step to protect the integrity of our elections and ensure they are more accessible for New Jerseyans,” Sherrill said. “This bill will allow municipalities to expand early voting and ensure the people of our state have their voices heard at the local level, where these decisions will shape our neighborhoods, our schools, and our daily lives.”

State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City), the mayor of Union City, heralded the legislation. Stack, who runs one of the strongest get-out-the-vote operations in the country, promotes early forms of voting and is up for re-election this May.

“I’d like to thank Governor Sherrill for signing this important legislation, as I strongly believe in enhancing voter accessibility,” Stack said in a release. “As many residents know, I often communicate about the importance of making it to the polls. This bill offers additional days to vote and I’m hopeful that even more residents will participate in our sacred election process.”

The state Senate approved the law 29-9 and the Assembly cleared the legislation 66-8.

The change would allow cities with May elections to bring their policy closer to statewide elections; November general elections are preceded by nine days of in-person early voting in New Jersey.

Several major cities hold municipal elections in May, including Newark, Irvington, Bayonne, and Union City.

“Early voting isn’t a privilege, it’s a necessity,” said Assemblyman Larry Wainstein (D-North Bergen). “Not everyone works a traditional 9 to 5, Monday through Friday work week. By increasing the number of days for early voting, we are allowing more people the opportunity to participate in our electoral process. I want to thank Governor Sherrill for signing this important bill into law. It is another shining example of how she always puts the best interests of the people first.”