The bill amends several sections of New Jersey's election laws regarding the nomination process for candidates. Specifically, it modifies R.S.19:13-5 to establish that petitions for nominations must be signed by legally qualified voters, with a requirement of at least five percent of the total votes cast for General Assembly members in the last election, or a minimum of 2,000 signatures for statewide candidates. Additionally, it allows for a reduced requirement of 50 signatures for candidates in newly established election districts. The bill also amends R.S.19:23-8 to set specific signature requirements for candidates based on the population of municipalities and political divisions, ensuring that no petition has fewer than one signer.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a new section, C.19:23-7.1, which mandates that the Secretary of State publish the forms for candidate nomination petitions by January 1 of each year in which a primary election is held. It also stipulates that signatures collected using forms published before the effective date of this act will still be valid and not subject to challenge. The act is set to take effect immediately and is retroactive to January 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 19:60-7, 40:45-8
Advance Law: 19:60-7, 40:45-8
Pamphlet Law: 19:60-7, 40:45-8