Bill would let cities with May municipal elections extend early voting

State legislative panels on Thursday advanced legislation that would allow municipalities to extend early voting in local May elections, setting the bill up for passage on Monday.

Under state law, municipalities must provide three days of early voting in nonpartisan May elections, starting four days before the election. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City), would allow municipalities to begin early voting up to eight days before the election, for a total of seven days of early voting.

The state Senate Judiciary Committee voted 9-2 to clear the bill, and the Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 14-0. (The Assembly panel cleared a slightly different version of the bill, which allows municipalities to implement up to 10 days of early voting. The bills are up for a vote before the full Senate and Assembly on Monday, and will likely be consolidated then.)

The change would allow cities with May elections to bring their policy closer to statewide elections; November general elections are preceded by nine days of in-person early voting in New Jersey.




https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/bill-would-let-cities-with-may-municipal-elections-extend-early-voting/