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S3203
SENATE, No. 3203
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JANUARY 28, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
Senator� JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
���� Allows candidates for Senate and General Assembly to
appear together in same nominating petition.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning the naming of certain candidates for public
office in petitions of nomination and amending
R.S.19:13-4
and R.S.19:23-7.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� R.S.19:13-4 is amended to
read as follows:
���� 19:13-4. Such petition shall
set forth the names, places of residence and post-office addresses of the
candidates for the offices to be filled, the title of the office for which each
candidate is named, that the petitioners are legally qualified to vote for such
candidates and pledge themselves to support and vote for the persons named in
such petition and that they have not signed any other petition of nomination
for the primary or for the general election for such office.� The petitions of
a candidate for any State, county, or municipal elective public office shall
also include a functioning campaign e-mail address for the candidate.
����
Candidates for member of
the Senate and General Assembly seeking nomination from the same legislative
district and who are of the same political party may appear together in the
same petition.
���� In the case of a petition or
petitions nominating electors of president and vice president of the United
States, the names of the candidates for president and vice president for whom
such electors are to vote may be included in the petition or petitions, but the
petition or petitions shall not include the names of any candidates for
president or vice president who have been nominated at a convention of a
political party, as defined by this title.�
���� The petition shall also state
in not more than three words the designation of the party or principles which
the candidates therein named represent, but such designation shall not contain
the designation name, derivative, or any part thereof as a noun or an adjective
of any political party entitled to participate in the primary election.�
���� The petition shall also
include the request that the names of the candidates and their designations of
party or principles be printed upon the ballots to be used at the ensuing
general election.�
���� No such petition shall
undertake to nominate any candidate who has accepted the nomination for the
primary for such position.�
���� Each petition shall be
arranged to contain double spacing between the signature lines of the petition,
so that each signer thereof is afforded sufficient space to provide his or her
printed name, address and signature.�
���� Any form of a petition of
nomination, other than petitions for federal office, which is provided to
candidates by the Secretary of State, the county clerk, or the municipal clerk
shall contain the following notice: "Notice: All candidates are required
by law to comply with the provisions of the 'New Jersey Campaign Contributions
and Expenditures Reporting Act.' For further information, please call (insert
phone number of the Election Law Enforcement Commission)."�
(cf: P.L.2018, c.66, s.1)
���� 2.� R.S.19:23-7 is amended to
read as follows:
���� 19:23-7.� Each such petition
shall set forth that the signers thereof are qualified voters of the State,
congressional district, county, or county election district, municipality, ward
or election district, as the case may be, in which they reside and for which
they desire to nominate candidates; that they are members of a political party
(naming the same), and that they intend to affiliate with that political party
at the ensuing election; that they indorse the person or persons named in their
petition as candidate or candidates for nomination for the office or offices
therein named, and that they request that the name of the person or persons
therein mentioned be printed upon the official primary ballots of their
political party as the candidate or candidates for such nomination. The
petition shall further state the residence and post-office address of each
person so indorsed, and shall certify that the person or persons so indorsed is
or are legally qualified under the laws of this State to be nominated, and is
or are a member or members of the political party named in the petition.� The
petitions of a candidate for any State, county, or municipal elective public
office shall also include a functioning e-mail address for the candidate.
����
Candidates for member of
the Senate and General Assembly seeking nomination from the same legislative
district and who are of the same political party may appear together in the
same petition.
���� Accompanying the petition,
each person indorsed therein shall file a certificate, stating that he is
qualified for the office mentioned in the petition, that he is a member of the
political party named therein, that he consents to stand as a candidate for
nomination at the ensuing primary election of such political party, and that,
if nominated, he consents to accept the nomination, to which shall be annexed
the oath of allegiance prescribed in R.S.41:1-1, duly taken and subscribed by
him before an officer authorized to take oaths in this State.�
���� Each petition shall be
arranged to contain double spacing between the signature lines of the petition,
so that each signer thereof is afforded sufficient space to provide his or her
printed name, address and signature.�
���� Any form of a petition of
nomination, other than petitions for federal office, which is provided to
candidates by the Secretary of State, the county clerk, or the municipal clerk
shall contain the following notice: "Notice: All candidates are required
by law to comply with the provisions of the 'New Jersey Campaign Contributions
and Expenditures Reporting Act.' For further information, please call (insert
phone number of the Election Law Enforcement Commission)."�
(cf: P.L.2018, c.66, s.2)
����
���� 3.� This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill allows candidates
for Senate and General Assembly to appear together in the same nominating
petition, provided they seek nomination from the same legislative district and
are of the same political party.
���� Under current law, several
candidates for nomination to the same office may appear together in the
petitions of nomination that are circulated to appear on the primary election
ballot. This bill expands this authorization to enable such Senate and General
Assembly candidates to appear together in the same primary nomination petition.
This bill also allows such Senate and General Assembly candidates to appear
together on petitions for direct nomination for the general election.
���� Under current law, Senate and
General Assembly candidates from the same legislative district require the same
number of signatures on their nominating petitions. This bill does not change
the required number of signatures, but would simplify the process of gathering
these signatures for candidates running in the same legislative district who
are from the same political party, should the candidates choose to be named on
the same petition.�