New Jersey voters now have more days to vote before Election Day.
Governor Phil Murphy signed a law extending early in-person voting for non-presidential primary elections from three to six days. For presidential primary elections, the period increases from five to six days. This change will take effect immediately and be in place for the June gubernatorial and assembly primaries.
Murphy said millions of voters in New Jersey have used early in-person voting since it started in 2021. He said the extension gives more residents time to vote.
Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, who also serves as Secretary of State, supported the change. She said expanding early voting helps prevent long lines and scheduling conflicts.
- New Jersey doubled early voting for non-presidential primaries from three to six days and increased presidential primary early voting from five to six days.
- The change follows a record 1.2 million early voters in 2024, up from 124,197 in 2023.
- The law provides $6 million in funding and takes effect for the June 2025 gubernatorial primary.
Bipartisan Support and Legislative Approval
The bill passed both the Senate and Assembly with bipartisan support in February. Senator Brian Stack and Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez from Hudson County, along with Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson from Mercer County, sponsored the legislation.
Stack said the extension improves New Jersey’s election system by giving people more opportunities to vote. Rodriguez said the additional early voting days will help poll workers by reducing Election Day crowds. Reynolds-Jackson said record-breaking early voter turnout in 2024 showed the need for more early voting days.
Voter Turnout Data Led to the Change
New Jersey saw a sharp increase in early in-person voting during the 2024 general election. Nearly 1.2 million residents voted early, the highest number since early voting began in the state.
In 2023, only 124,197 voters used early in-person voting. The increase in 2024 showed more people prefer to vote before Election Day.
Of the 1,172,842 early voters in 2024, 556,442 were Republicans, 863,574 were Democrats, and over 500,000 were unaffiliated. The large number of voters led to long lines in some locations, which showed the need for a longer early voting period.
Before the change, early voting in most primaries lasted three days, while presidential primary years had five. The general election early voting period stays at nine days, and municipal elections in May will still have a three-day early voting period.
The law sets aside $6 million to fund the expansion, with additional funds available if needed.
Law Takes Effect as Gubernatorial Race Heats Up
New Jersey’s upcoming gubernatorial primary is expected to be competitive. With Murphy unable to run for a third term, six Democrats and five Republicans are running for their party’s nomination in June.
A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll shows that three Democratic candidates currently have more name recognition and favorability. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is the most well-known, with 78% of respondents recognizing his name and 43% viewing him favorably. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop follows with 32% favorability, and U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill has 31%.
Other Democratic candidates, such as former State Senate President Steve Sweeney and former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, have less name recognition. Although 73% of respondents have heard of Sweeney, his favorability rating is in the 20s. The same is true for Sherrill and Representative Josh Gottheimer.
On the Republican side, polling data is still unclear, but the race is expected to be competitive as candidates work to gain support.
