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S 3990

Relates to establishing the offense of false pretense

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Kevin Parker and 3 co-sponsors

Extends primary election early voting to seven days before, moves challenger filing earlier by one week, and appropriates $6 million to implement.

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Bill Summary · S 3990

Summary — S3990 (P.L.2025, c.23)

Title: An Act extending the early voting period for primary elections and extending the challenger appointment deadline; amends P.L.2021, c.40 and R.S.19:7‑3; makes an appropriation.

Status: Enacted (Approved P.L.2025, c.23 on March 4, 2025)
Introduced: December 19, 2024
Primary sponsor: Sen. Kevin S. Parker (co-sponsors listed)

Purpose / Intent

S3990 lengthens the early voting window for primary elections in New Jersey and changes the filing deadline for appointment/applications of election challengers. The law also provides state funding to help cover implementation costs.

Key provisions

  • Early voting for primary elections

    • Sets the early voting period for both non‑presidential and presidential primaries to begin on the 7th calendar day before the primary and end on the 2nd calendar day before the primary.
    • Practically, this makes the primary early voting period six calendar days (from day −7 through day −2).
    • The early voting periods for general elections (10th through 2nd calendar day before the election) and optional municipal May elections (4th through 2nd day, if adopted locally) remain as provided under P.L.2021, c.40.
    • Early-voting site rules remain: each county designates a minimum/maximum number of sites by county registration size (generally 3–5, 5–7, or 7–10 sites depending on county population), with the State required to reimburse costs only up to those site limits.

  • Challenger appointment filing deadline

    • Amends R.S.19:7‑3 to require that appointment of or applications for challengers be filed with the county board not later than the third Tuesday preceding any election (previously the second Tuesday preceding any election). Effectively, the filing deadline is moved earlier by one week.

  • Appropriation

    • Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Fund to the New Jersey Department of State to implement the bill. Unspent funds may be expended in subsequent fiscal years until exhausted.

Who is affected

  • Voters: primary-election voters gain more early-voting days and increased access.
  • County and municipal election officials: county boards of elections and clerks will operate early-voting sites for additional days.
  • Poll workers and vendors: additional staffing, supervision, overtime, site rental and associated costs.
  • State government: Department of State administers implementation and distributes reimbursements.

Fiscal and operational impact

  • OLS estimate (Fiscal Note): up to $6 million State expenditure in year 1 (appropriated); ongoing state and local fiscal impacts are indeterminate.
  • Counties will face increased operational costs per primary (additional poll worker hours, supervisors, overtime, mileage, rental fees) but will receive State reimbursements subject to statutory site limits.
  • Net local revenue increases expected in the form of State reimbursements; exact amounts vary by county and election type.

Legislative action highlights

  • Passed Senate: 25–13 (Feb 25, 2025)
  • Passed Assembly: 53–22 (Feb 27, 2025)
  • Enacted as P.L.2025, c.23 (Mar 4, 2025)

Notes

  • Committee amendments reduced the originally proposed longer early-voting period (11 days) to the current 7-day start and added the $6 million appropriation and the challenger-deadline change.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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