The Senate voted to extend in-person early voting from three days to seven days of voting.
If the Assembly approves the measure – and if Gov. Phil Murphy signs it – early voting will begin on Monday, June 2 and continue through Sunday, June 8. The primary election is set for Tuesday, June 10.
State Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Union City), an early-voting aficionado, sponsored the bill, which passed. 25-13.
No votes were cast by Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton), Kristin Corrado (R-Totowa), Owen Henry (R-Old Bridge), James Holzapfel (R-Toms River), Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver), Joseph Pennacchio (R-Montville), Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor Township), Holly Schepisi (R-River-Vale), Robert Singer (R-Lakewood), Parker Space (R-Wantage), Douglas Steinhardt (R-Lopatcong), Michael Testa (R-Vineland), and Latham Tiver (R-Southampton). Two Republicans, Carmen Amato (R-Berkeley) and Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), voted yes.
The legislation also extends the deadline for the appointment of challengers by one week.
Early voting in New Jersey took off like gangbusters in 2024, with 1,172,842 early votes cast at polling locations before Election Day; 27% of all votes cast were early, in-person. That number eclipsed the 860,586 vote-by-mail ballots. New Jerseyans cast 50.3% of the votes on November 5 in an election that produced a 64.7% turnout.
The bill appropriates $6 million to extend early voting. An earlier version of the bill would have extended early voting to 10 days, but it was amended last week.