LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3990

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: FEBRUARY 28, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Extends early voting period for primary elections and extends challenger appointment deadline; appropriates $6 million.

Type of Impact:

Annual expenditure increase to the State General Fund; annual local expenditure and revenue increases.

Agencies Affected:

Department of State, County Boards of Elections, County Clerks’ Offices.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Thereafter

 

 

State Expenditure Increase

Up to $6 million

Indeterminate

 

 

Local Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

Indeterminate

 

 

Local Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that extending the early voting period by three days for each primary in a non-presidential election year and extending the early voting period by one day for each primary in a presidential election year will increase costs to counties.  The counties will also experience revenue increases in the form of reimbursements from the State for their costs under the bill.

·         The bill appropriates $6 million to the Department of State to carry out the purposes of the bill.  If the full amount is not expended in the year of appropriation, the residual amount will be spent in subsequent fiscal years until the full $6 million is exhausted.

·         The actual cost increase to the counties per election depends on the number of hours the poll workers work each day of early voting and the number of poll workers at each early voting location, the additional pay for supervisors at each location, overtime costs for other personnel, mileage, and rental fees for polling locations.  

·         The actual costs increase may also depend on the type of election (i.e. non-presidential primary or presidential primary).

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill extends the early voting period for primary elections in New Jersey to start seven calendar days before the election.  This includes non-presidential primary elections and presidential primary elections.  Currently, the early voting period for a non-presidential primary election and a presidential primary election starts, respectively, on the fourth (three days of early voting) and sixth (five days of early voting) calendar day before the election, and ends on the second calendar day before the election.  Therefore, under the bill, the early voting period would increase to six days for primary elections.

      The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of State the sum of $6,000,000 to carry out the purposes of the bill.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

        None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS estimates that extending the early voting period by three days for each primary in a non-presidential election year and extending the early voting period by one day for each primary in a presidential election year will increase costs to counties.  The counties will also experience revenue increases in the form of reimbursements from the State for their costs under the bill.

      The bill appropriates $6 million to the Department of State to carry out the purposes of the bill.  If the full amount is not expended in the year of appropriation, the residual amount will be spent in subsequent fiscal years until the full $6 million is exhausted.

      The actual cost increase to the counties per election depends on the number of hours the poll workers work each day of early voting and the number of poll workers at each early voting location, the additional pay for supervisors at each location, overtime costs for other personnel, mileage, and rental fees for polling locations.

      The actual costs increase may also depend on the type of election (i.e. non-presidential primary or presidential primary).

 

Section:

State Government

Analyst:

Anna Harris

Associate Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).