SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3990

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 20, 2025

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3990.

      As amended by the committee, this bill extends the early voting period for primary elections in New Jersey and extends the deadline to appoint a challenger for an election.

      The bill extends the early voting period for all 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 4th and 6th calendar day before the election. 

      Under current law, the early voting period for any election ends on the second calendar day before the election.  Therefore, under the bill, the early voting period would consist of six days for primary elections.

       This bill also extends the deadline to appoint a challenger for an election from the second Tuesday preceding any election to the third Tuesday preceding any election. 

      Finally, 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.

      The committee amendments to the bill:

      - reduce the early voting period for primary elections from 11 calendar days before an election to seven days;

      - extend the deadline to appoint a challenger for an election from the second Tuesday preceding any election to the third Tuesday;

      - add an appropriation of $6,000,000 to carry out the purposes of the bill; and

      - revise the bill’s title and synopsis to reflect the changes made by the amendments.