Voting in New Jersey

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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in New Jersey:

See Election administration in New Jersey for additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in New Jersey, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the county in which they are registering for at least 30 days prior to the election. Seventeen-year-olds may register to vote, although they may not vote until they have turned 18. Individuals serving a felony sentence or on probation or parole because of a felony may not register to vote.[1] The voter registration deadline is 21 days before the next election. Registration applications can be downloaded from the state website and mailed to the county commissioner of registration or superintendent of elections.[1] Registration applications are also available at various county offices and state agencies, such as the Division of Elections and Division of Motor Vehicle offices.[2]


In-person voting

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In New Jersey, all polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

New Jersey does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. However, if a voter does not provide valid identification at the time of registration, he or she must show identification at the polling place.[4]

Voters can present the following forms of identification:

  • New Jersey driver's license
  • Military or other government ID
  • Student or job ID
  • Store membership card
  • United States Passport,
  • Bank statement
  • Car registration
  • Government check or document
  • Non-photo NJ driver's license
  • Rent receipt
  • Sample Ballot
  • Utility bill
  • Any other official document

Early voting

See also: Early voting

New Jersey permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail in New Jersey.[5]

To vote absentee/by mail, an application must be received by election officials at least seven days prior to the election if returned by mail. An application can also be submitted in person to county election officials until 3 p.m. on the day before the election. An application can also be submitted online via the state's online voter registration system. A completed absentee/mail-in ballot must then be received by election officials or postmarked by the time the polls close on Election Day.[5][6]


Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In New Jersey, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights and may re-register to vote once they have completed their prison sentences. On December 18, 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed into law A5823, legislation restoring voting rights to people convicted of a felony once they have completed their prison sentences. The law was scheduled to take effect on March 17, 2020. Previously, state law barred people convicted of a felony from voting until completion of their full sentences, including prison time, probation, and parole.[7][8]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[9]

Noteworthy events

2022

On July 28, 2022, Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed into law seven separate bills making modifications to New Jersey's election administration laws:

  • A1969: Allows minors between the ages of 16 and 18 to serve as election workers from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Election Day.[10]
    • Final state Senate vote (June 29, 2022): 37-0.
    • Final state House vote (June 16, 2022): 73-3 (45 Democrats and 28 Republicans in favor; three Republicans opposed).
  • A3817: Requires ballot privacy sleeves and privacy equipment at each polling place; fixes the mail-in ballot curing deadline nine days after Election Day; allows voters to request mail-in ballots using the existing online voter registration system; allows voters to change their party affiliation using the existing online voter registration system; requires the creation of an online form by which voters can update their names and residences.[6]
    • Final state Senate vote (June 29, 2022): 22-17 (22 Democrats in favor; one Democrat and 16 Republicans opposed).
    • Final state House vote (June 29, 2022): 58-19 (46 Democrats and 12 Republicans in favor; 19 Republicans opposed).
  • A3819: Provides for the removal of a voter's name from the permanent vote-by-mail list if the voter does not vote by mail for four consecutive elections, starting with the 2020 election cycle.[11]
    • Final state Senate vote (June 29, 2022): 40-0.
    • Final state House vote (June 29, 2022): 78-0.
  • A3820: Prohibits an unaffiliated voter from receiving a mail-in ballot for a primary election; requires election officials to provide unaffiliated voters with political party affiliation forms and information about voting in partisan primaries.[12]
    • Final state Senate vote (June 29, 2022): 40-0.
    • Final state House vote (June 16, 2022): 75-2 (46 Democrats and 29 Republicans in favor; two Republicans opposed).
  • A3822: Provides that mail-in ballots will be sent to voters starting on the 45th day before an election; requires that all petitions addressed to state or local election officials be filed by 4:00 p.m. on the 71st day preceding a primary election; allows election officials to begin processing mail-in ballots no earlier than five days before an election.[13]
    • Final state Senate vote (June 29, 2022): 23-15 (23 Democrats in favor; one Democrat and 14 Republicans opposed).
    • Final state House vote (June 29, 2022): 78-0.
  • A3823: Requires that the municipal officers charged with maintaining death records file biweekly reports with voter registration officials in the two months immediately preceding a primary or general election; requires registration officials to remove the names of deceased voters from the voter rolls within 10 days of receiving the aforementioned biweekly report; exempts compensation received by election workers from gross income taxation.[14]
    • Final state Senate vote (June 29, 2022): 40-0.
    • Final state House vote (June 16, 2022): 78-0.
  • A3929: Amends definitions related to military and overseas voting "to more closely mirror the selection categories voters must choose from on the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA), which determine the types of elections – local, state, federal, or all – in which the U.S. citizen living outside of the country is permitted to participate."[15]
    • Final state Senate vote (June 29, 2022): 24-15 (24 Democrats in favor; 15 Republicans opposed).
    • Final state House vote (June 29, 2022): 47-30 (46 Democrats and one Republican in favor; 30 Republicans opposed).

2021

On March 30, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed S3203 into law, establishing in-person early voting as follows for certain primary and general elections:[16]

  • Non-presidential primary election: Beginning on the fourth calendar day before the primary and ending on the second calendar day before the primary.
  • Presidential primary election: Beginning on the sixth calendar day before the primary and ending on the second calendar day before the primary.
  • General election: Beginning on the tenth calendar day before the election and ending on the second calendar day before the election.

S3203, which took immediate effect, established that early voting polling places must be open on Monday through Saturday from at least 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from at least 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. [17]

2018

On April 12, 2018, the New Jersey General Assembly adopted A2014, a bill providing for automatic voter registration of eligible residents who apply for driver's licenses, examination permits, probationary licenses, or non-driver identification cards. The Assembly voted 50 to 23 to approve the legislation. The New Jersey State Senate followed suit the same day, approving the bill by a vote of 24 to 13. On April 17, 2018, Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed the bill into law, making New Jersey the 12th state to enact an automatic voter registration policy.[18][19]

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D), one of the bill's sponsors, said, "This bill is designed to encourage participation in the democratic process by integrating voter registration with the process of driver registration. This simple move will hopefully encourage more young people to register to vote and make it easier for residents to fulfill their civic duty." Senator Kristin Corrado (R), a former Passaic County Clerk who voted against A2014, said, "I am very concerned that mandating automatic voter registration without safeguards or penalties for the bad actors will compromise the integrity of future elections. We cannot allow that to happen."[20][21][22]

2015

On November 9, 2015, Governor Chris Christie (R) vetoed AB 4613, which, according to Bloomberg, "would have expanded early voting, created online registration and automatically enrolled people applying for a driver's license unless they opted out." Chris said, "New Jersey taxpayers deserve better than to have their hard-earned tax dollars spent on thinly-veiled political gamesmanship and the state must ensure that every eligible citizen’s vote counts and is not stolen by fraud." New Jersey State Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D), one of the bill's sponsors, said, "The governor never ceases to disappoint. I will confer with my fellow legislative leaders and sponsors to decide the next step, even if that means taking these reforms directly to the voters for approval."[23][24]

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission
See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in New Jersey can contact the following state and federal agencies.

New Jersey Secretary of State

225 West State Street, 5th Floor
Trenton, New Jersey 08608
Telephone: 609-292-3760
Fax: 609-777-1280
Email: njelections@sos.state.nj.us

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

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See also

Elections in New Jersey


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 New Jersey Division of Elections, “Register to Vote!” accessed April 18, 2023
  2. ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, “Where to Register in Person,” accessed April 18, 2023
  3. ↑ New Jersey Department of State, “Election laws - NJSA - 19:2-1,” accessed April 18, 2023
  4. ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 18, 2023
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 New Jersey Department of State, "Vote by Mail Applications," accessed April 18, 2023
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A3817," accessed August 2, 2022
  7. ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Signs Bill to Restore Voting Rights to People on Probation and Parole," December 18, 2019
  8. ↑ NJ.gov, "Voter Restoration Handbook," accessed October 20, 2019
  9. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
  10. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A1969," accessed August 2, 2022
  11. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A3819," accessed August 2, 2022
  12. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A3820," accessed August 2, 2022
  13. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A3822," accessed August 2, 2022
  14. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A3823," accessed August 2, 2022
  15. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A3929," accessed August 2, 2022
  16. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Senate, No. 3203," accessed April 7, 2021
  17. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Senate, No. 3203," accessed April 7, 2021
  18. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "A2014," accessed April 16, 2018
  19. ↑ The Hill, "New Jersey governor signs automatic voter registration bill," April 17, 2018
  20. ↑ NJ.com, "N.J. Democrats just took a big step to vastly increase voter rolls," April 13, 2018
  21. ↑ WBGO.org, "NJ Legislature Approves Automatic Voter Registration Bill," April 12, 2018
  22. ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "A Chorus of Voices Supporting New Jersey's AVR Bill," April 12, 2018
  23. ↑ Bloomberg, "Christie Vetoes Measure to Expand Early Voting in New Jersey," November 9, 2015
  24. ↑ Ballot Access News, "New Jersey Governor Vetoes Bill for Automatic Voter Registration," November 9, 2015
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