This bill amends New Jersey election laws to extend the early voting period for primary elections and modifies the deadline for appointing election challengers. Specifically, the deadline for appointing challengers is changed from the second Tuesday preceding an election to the third Tuesday preceding an election. Additionally, the early voting period for both non-presidential and presidential primary elections will now begin 7 calendar days before the election, rather than the previous 4 and 6 days, respectively. This change results in a total of six days of early voting for primary elections, with the early voting period ending on the second calendar day before the election.

To support these changes, the bill appropriates $6 million from the General Fund to the Department of State, which will be used to facilitate the implementation of the extended early voting period and the appointment of challengers. This funding aims to ensure that the necessary resources are available for the smooth execution of the updated voting procedures. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 19:15A-1