This bill amends the signature requirements for candidates seeking to be placed on primary, general, nonpartisan municipal, and school election ballots in New Jersey. It establishes new thresholds for the number of signatures required based on the population of the municipality or political division. For instance, candidates in municipalities with populations over 50,000 will need at least 100 signatures, while those in smaller municipalities will require fewer, down to a minimum of five signatures for populations up to 2,500. Additionally, the bill increases the signature requirements for general elections to five percent of the total votes cast for the General Assembly in the last election, and for statewide offices, candidates will now need to gather 2,000 signatures, up from 800.

The bill also introduces new requirements for school elections, raising the number of signatures from 10 to 25, and for nonpartisan municipal offices, candidates will need to collect signatures based on their municipality's population. The Secretary of State is mandated to publish the necessary nominating petition forms by January 1 of each year, ensuring candidates have adequate time to meet the new requirements. These changes aim to enhance voter confidence by ensuring that only candidates with substantial community support appear on the ballot, thereby reducing ballot clutter and promoting a fairer electoral process in New Jersey.

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