The bill amends New Jersey's election laws to allow voters to change their party affiliation at the polling place on primary election day, enabling participation in any political party's primary. It introduces provisions for voters to complete a political party affiliation declaration form at the polling place and allows mail-in voters to vote in a primary election for a party other than their registered affiliation, automatically updating their party status upon ballot submission. The Secretary of State is responsible for preparing and distributing the necessary forms for these declarations. Additionally, the bill clarifies that unaffiliated mail-in voters will not receive a primary election ballot but will be informed on how to affiliate with a political party and vote in person.

The legislation also streamlines voter registration and participation by removing the previous requirement for voters to declare a new party affiliation 50 days prior to the election. It mandates that mail-in ballots be sent to all voters with clear instructions regarding the implications of voting in a primary for a different party. Furthermore, county clerks are required to ensure that mail-in ballots are clearly marked, and voters are informed about the consequences of changing their party affiliation. The bill includes measures to enhance the mail-in voting process, such as issuing "Cure Letters" for rejected ballots due to signature discrepancies and requiring county boards of elections to meet weekly during the election period to ensure timely processing. Overall, these changes aim to improve voter accessibility and participation in primary elections.

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