The bill amends New Jersey's election laws to enhance voter participation in political party primaries by allowing voters to change their party affiliation at the polling place on primary election day. This change enables voters to cast their ballots in a primary election for a different political party than their registered affiliation. Additionally, mail-in voters will have the option to complete a primary ballot for any political party, regardless of their registered party affiliation. Upon voting in a different party's primary, the voter will be considered a member of that party.

Key modifications include the removal of the previous requirement that voters must be deemed a member of a party 55 days prior to the primary election, thus streamlining the process for switching parties. The bill also clarifies that voters not affiliated with any party can participate in any party's primary and establishes penalties for violations of election laws regarding party affiliation during primary voting. These changes aim to increase voter engagement and flexibility in the electoral process, with the act set to take effect on January 1st following its enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 19:23-45.1, 19:31-6.4, 19:31-13.2, 19:62-7, 19:63-8, 19:63-11, 19:63-17, 19:63-22