A 4745 — Permits extension of early voting period for regular municipal elections in May.

2026, c.008 (A4745 1R)  CHAPTER 8   P.L.An Act concerning the early voting period for regular municipal elections in May and amending P.L.2021, c.40.

2026, CHAPTER 8, approved April 6, 2026 Assembly, No.

4745 (First Reprint)   An Act concerning the early voting period for regular municipal elections in May and amending P.L.2021, c.40.

  C.19:15A-1  Early voting.

This This procedure shall be known as early voting.

The The early voting period shall:

If adopted by a municipal governing body, the early voting period for a regular municipal election in May shall start on the 4th calendar day before the regular municipal election, except that the municipal governing body may adopt an ordinance to allow the early voting period to start on the 1[11th]eighth eighth1 calendar day before the regular municipal election and end on the second calendar day before that regular municipal election.

     An early voting period shall only be permitted for a non-presidential or presidential primary election and a general election in this State and, if adopted by a municipal governing body, a regular municipal election conducted in May.

(1) For the primary and the general election, each county board of elections shall designate at least three, but not more than five, public locations within each county as the sites for early voting to occur, except that the county board shall designate at least five, but not more than seven, public locations for early voting if the number of registered voters in the county is at least 150,000150,000, but less than 300,000, and shall designate at least seven, but not more than 10, public locations for early voting if the number of registered voters in the county is 300,000 or more.

This provision shall not be interpreted to prevent county boards of elections, at their discretion, from establishing additional locations in excess of the five, seven, or 10 location limits respectively set forth herein;herein, provided, however, that the State shall be required to provide reimbursement for the costs of locations up to and including the five, seven, or 10 respective limits established herein and shall not be required to provide reimbursement for additional locations beyond those limits under section 6 of this act, P.L.2021, c.40 (C.19:15A-6).  The number of registered voters in each county shall be determined ahead of the selection of early voting sites pursuant to a uniform standard which shall be developed by the Secretary of State through the rulemaking process pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).  Whenever possible, early voting locations shall be geographically located so as to ensure both access in the part of the county that features the greatest concentration of population, according to the most recent federal decennial census of the United States, and access in various geographic areas of the county.  All early voting locations shall be public facilities, such as county courthouses, public libraries, and the offices of the municipal clerk, county clerk, and county board of elections or places of public accommodation as provided under Title 10 of the Revised Statutes.

provided, however, that the State shall be required to provide reimbursement for the costs of locations up to and including the five, seven, or 10 respective limits established herein, and shall not be required to provide reimbursement for additional locations beyond those limits under section 6 of this act, P.L.2021, c.40 (C.19:15A-6).  The number of registered voters in each county shall be determined ahead of the selection of early voting sites pursuant to a uniform standard which shall be developed by the Secretary of State through the rulemaking process pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).  Whenever possible, early voting locations shall be geographically located so as to ensure both access in the part of the county that features the greatest concentration of population, according to the most recent federal decennial census of the United States, and access in various geographic areas of the county.  All early voting locations shall be public facilities, such as county courthouses, public libraries and the offices of the municipal clerk, county clerk, and county board of elections, or places of public accommodation as provided under Title 10 of the Revised Statutes.

This provision shall not be interpreted to prevent a county board of elections, at its discretion, from establishing additional locations in excess of the three location limit set forth herein;herein, provided, however, that the State shall be required to provide reimbursement for the costs of locations up to and including the three location limit established herein and shall not be required to provide reimbursement for additional locations beyond that limit under section 6 of this act, P.L.2021, c.40 (C.19:15A-6).  Whenever possible, each such location shall be geographically located in the part of the municipality that features the greatest concentration of population according to the most recent federal decennial census of the United States.  All early voting locations shall be public facilities, such as municipal courthouses and the offices of the municipal clerk or places of public accommodation as provided under Title 10 of the Revised Statutes.  No public school building and no building used as a public school, as that term is defined under N.J.S.18A:1-1, shall be designated as an early voting location.  The locations shall be designated at the same time as all other polling places are designated by the board of elections.  In the event of a tie vote among members of the county board with respect to the selection of sites for early voting, the municipal clerk shall cast the deciding vote.  Once early voting locations are designated in each municipality, county boards of election shall evaluate and, if deemed necessary, revise these locations in order to accommodate significant changes in the number of registered voters within each municipality, reflect the population distribution and density within each municipality, or because of similar circumstances.  The Secretary of State may develop the criteria to be used by county boards of election to revise the location of early voting sites and shall prescribe how often such revision shall take place.

provided, however, that the State shall be required to provide reimbursement for the costs of locations up to and including the three location limit established herein, and shall not be required to provide reimbursement for additional locations beyond that limit under section 6 of this act, P.L.2021, c.40 (C.19:15A-6).  Whenever possible, each such location shall be geographically located in the part of the municipality that features the greatest concentration of population, according to the most recent federal decennial census of the United States.  All early voting locations shall be public facilities, such as municipal courthouses and the offices of the municipal clerk, or places of public accommodation as provided under Title 10 of the Revised Statutes.  No public school building and no building used as a public school, as that term is defined under N.J.S.18A:1-1, shall be designated as an early voting location.  The locations shall be designated at the same time as all other polling places are designated by the board of elections.  In the event of a tie vote among members of the county board with respect to the selection of sites for early voting, the municipal clerk shall cast the deciding vote.  Once early voting locations are designated in each municipality, county boards of election shall evaluate and, if deemed necessary, revise these locations in order to accommodate significant changes in the number of registered voters within each municipality, reflect the population distribution and density within each municipality, or because of similar circumstances.  The Secretary of State may develop the criteria to be used by county boards of election to revise the location of early voting sites and shall prescribe how often such revision shall take place.

     c.     Each early voting site in a county or municipality shall be open for early voting on Monday through Saturday from at least 10 AMa.m. to 8 PM, and on Sunday from at least 10 AM to 6 PM.  Any voter who is on line at the time scheduled for the closing of an early voting site shall be permitted to vote.

     d.    The election officers responsible for conducting early voting shall be the same as those responsible for conducting a primary and a general election, as appropriate, pursuant to this8 Title. p.m., The number of such officers and theiron hoursSunday offrom service shall be as determined by each county board of elections.  The compensation for such officers shall be the same as provided to district board of election members serving at aleast school10 electiona.m. pursuant to R.S.19:45-6, or that required pursuant to Article I, paragraph 23 of the New Jersey Constitution, whichever is greater.

    to e.    6 Thep.m.  restrictionsAny governingvoter the conduct of voters at a polling place on the days that early voting occurs, the procedures governing who is permitted in a polling place on suchline occasionsat and the prohibitiontime onscheduled electioneeringfor withinthe 100closing feet of a polling place during an election,early orvoting withinsite 200 feet of a polling place during an election if the electioneering prohibition is extended at the discretion of a county board of elections, shall be aspermitted providedto invote. chapters 15, 34, 50 and 52 of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes and every other applicable section of this Title.

     d.    The election officers responsible for conducting early voting shall be the same as those responsible for conducting a primary and a general election, as appropriate, pursuant to this Title.  The number of such officers and their hours of service shall be as determined by each county board of elections.  The compensation for such officers shall  be the same as provided to district board of election members serving at a school election pursuant to R.S.19:45-6 or that required pursuant to Article I, paragraph 23 of the New Jersey Constitution, whichever is greater.

     e.     The restrictions governing the conduct of voters at a polling place on the days that early voting occurs, the procedures governing who is permitted in a polling place on such occasions and the prohibition on electioneering within feet of a polling place during an election, or within 200 feet of a polling place during an election if the electioneering prohibition is extended at the discretion of a county board of elections, shall be as provided in chapters 15, 34, 50 and 52 of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes and every other applicable section of this Title.

(1) Each county board shall be responsible for forming and executing a written plan to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, the integrity of the voting process and the security of ballots used during the early voting period, including the security of voting machines, voted ballots, and election records.  The plan shall be based on guidelines established by the Secretary of State and shall be submitted thereto no later than December 15 of each year.  The Secretary of State shall review and, if deemed necessary thereby, require changes to a plan no later than February 1 of each year.  Each plan shall specify a chain of custody and security plan for the voting machines, and a chain of custody for the voted ballots and election records and materials, and shall require, among other specifications deemed necessary by the Secretary of State and county boards of election, that all voted ballots shall be transferred at the end of each early voting day to county boards of election for safekeeping.  After the voted ballots are transferred to the county board of elections at the end of each early voting day, a county board may elect to impound those voted ballots on a secure server,server or by any other means deemed appropriate by the Secretary of State.  The voted ballots shall not be canvassed until the closing of the polls on election day as required pursuant to section 4 of this act, P.L.2021, c.40 (C.19:15A-4).

     j.     Each polling place used for early voting shall also have such appropriate supplies, ballotsballots, and other materials deemed necessary by the Secretary of State or as is required currently for a polling place on the day of any election by Title 19 of the Revised StatutesStatutes. (cf:

P.L.2025, c.92, s.1)        2.  This act shall take effect immediately.

                                            PermitsApproved extensionApril of6, early2026. voting period for regular municipal elections in May.