Bill
A 5117
The law raises minimum petition signatures for most elections to ensure candidates show broader support before a ballot spot.
Status and procedural history
- Introduced: December 9, 2024 (Assembly)
- Committee reports and floor/committee amendments in December 2024.
- Passed both houses (Assembly and Senate) in January 2025.
- Approved and enacted as P.L.2025, c.20 on February 3, 2025.
- Floor amendments made the law effective immediately and retroactive to January 1, 2025 and allowed limited use of Secretary of State petition forms published before the bill’s effective date for the 2025 primary without creating a basis for challenge.
Purpose / intent
- Increase and modernize the minimum signature thresholds required on nominating petitions so that candidacies (primary, general, nonpartisan municipal, and school elections) demonstrate greater preliminary support before placement on a ballot. The sponsors and committee reports cite concerns about “ballot clutter,” voter confusion, and outdated thresholds dating from the 1930s.
Key provisions — signature thresholds (select highlights)
- Direct nominating petitions for general elections:
- Raises the base requirement from 2% to 5% of the entire General Assembly vote in the relevant jurisdiction.
- Statewide general-election petitions: increases from 800 to 2,000 signatures.
- Caps petition requirements for other offices at 250 signatures (up from 100).
- Primary election party petitions:
- Statewide (party) petitions: 2,500 signatures (was 1,000).
- Congressional: 500 (was 200).
- State Senate and General Assembly: 250 (was 100).
- Countywide party petitions: at least 1% of the party’s prior primary vote or at least 300 signatures, whichever is less (committee version adds a floor preventing fewer than 150 signatures in some contexts).
- Municipal/ward party petitions: population-based thresholds (examples from the enacted text):
- 100 signatures for municipalities/wards >50,000
- 75 for >25,000–50,000
- 50 for >10,000–25,000
- Scaled lower thresholds (including a “whichever is less” 5% alternative) for smaller populations and wards down to 5 signatures for jurisdictions of 2,500 or fewer residents.
- Single election district: remains 10 signatures (or 5% of party primary vote, whichever is less).
- School board elections:
- Petition signatures increase from 10 to 25; petitions must include a functioning email address for the candidate.
- Nonpartisan municipal elections:
- Signature requirement increased to 5% of registered voters (up from 1%) or a population-based number similar to the municipal party thresholds (100 / 75 / 50 / 25 / 10 / 5 by population bands).
- Administrative requirement:
- Secretary of State must publish required petition forms by January 1 of each year in which a primary will be held (to give candidates time to collect signatures).
Who is affected
- Prospective candidates for statewide, congressional, legislative, county, municipal (partisan and nonpartisan), and school board offices (and the political parties that support them).
- Local election officials (handling petitions and validations) and the Secretary of State (publishing forms).
- Voters may be affected indirectly by fewer candidates appearing on some ballots.
Potential impacts / considerations
- Likely reduces the number of low-support or “frivolous” candidates on ballots; proponents argue it improves ballot clarity.
- Raises the resource burden on new, independent, third‑party, or grassroots candidates who must gather more signatures.
- Could prompt legal challenges over ballot access; the bill cites U.S. Supreme Court and Third Circuit precedent recognizing a state interest in requiring a preliminary showing of support.
- Administrative effects include earlier need for published petition forms and increased signature verification workload for election officials.
Companion / related legislation
- Companion bill: S3994. Prior-session related bills: A10259, A6060.
Sponsors
- Primary sponsor: Assemblyman Keith Brown; cosponsors Joe DeStefano and David McDonough.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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