As of July 2, members of the New Jersey State Legislature, which includes the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey State Senate, have passed two bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Legislators passed the two bills during the week of June 26–July 2. Democrats sponsored the bills. The bills are:
- NJ A5175: Changes certain General Election deadlines, Assembly Members Angela McKnight (D), William Moen (D), Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D), and Anthony Verrelli (D), and Sens. Jim Beach (D), Nellie Pou (D), Shirley Turner (D), and Andrew Zwicker (D).
- As amended, this bill:
- Modifies the deadline for nominating an individual by direct petition or state convention for election from 70 days before the election to 81 days before the election.
- Modifies the deadline for a nominating petition to be submitted from 64 days before the election to 75 days before the election.
- Modifies the deadline for selecting a replacement in the case of a vacancy for vacancies occurring 70 days before an election, instead of 56 days before the election.
- Modifies the deadline for the state committee to select a candidate to fill a vacancy from 54 days before the election to 68 days before the election.
- Modifies the deadline for the county clerk to prepare official ballots for printing from 50 days prior to the election to 64 days prior to the election.
- Click the hyperlinked bill number above for more information.
- As amended, this bill:
- NJ A5176: Requires periodic reporting of election results on night of primary and general election and until final tally thereafter; appropriates $1.5 million, Assembly Members Reginald Atkins (D), Craig Coughlin (D), Mila Jasey (D), and Benjie Wimberly (D), and Sens. Patrick Diegnan (D), Nellie Pou (D), Shirley Turner (D), and Andrew Zwicker (D).
- A summary has not been provided yet.
Of the two bills passed this year, zero have been enacted.
From June 26–July 2, legislators passed 19 bills related to election administration nationally. As of July 2, Texas legislators have passed the most bills this year with 34, while Alaska, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin legislators have passed the fewest bills with zero. The state with the most enacted bills is Texas with 32, while eight states have enacted none.
The New Jersey State Legislature is scheduled to be in session from Jan. 10 to December 31 this year. In 2022, New Jersey legislators passed 11 election-related bills, 10 in the state House and one in the state Senate. All 11 bills were enacted into law. New Jersey is a Democratic trifecta, meaning Democrats control the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.
Additional reading: