New Jersey State Senator Shirley Turner has introduced SB 2858 to move the special election for U.S. Senate this year from October 16 to November 5. See this story.
New Jersey State Senator Shirley Turner has introduced SB 2858 to move the special election for U.S. Senate this year from October 16 to November 5. See this story.
I wonder why NJ didn’t fix their special election laws before Sen. Lautenberg died. In any case this is why I believe that ballot access and other matters such as they relate to federal elections (President, Senate, House) such be federalized. It is too confusing to have 56 different ballot access laws and different dates for primaries, special primaries and elections. The states, DC, and the territories would still be able to set their own procedures for state and local elections.
Federalize voting procedures? Well, maybe. But I think you’d only get support for that idea from red states if you federalized voter ID laws and outlawed early voting in order to suppress voting among minorities…federally, that is.
Senator Turner is proposing moving the general election from November to October.
Her bill would also would require US Representatives to be appointed rather than hold special elections.
She also notes that the New Jersey constitution requires a November general election, but permits it to be changed by law. She says it would not be unprecedented, since in 2005 the presidential primary was moved to February and in 2011 it was moved back to June.
Maybe that is
The bill caption says “Changes date of 2013 general election from November 5th to October 16th.”, which is consistent with Senator Turner’s press release.
The bill text is not available, but there is also an Assembly 4237, which is said to be identical.
The writs for the special election have already been issued. Today is the filing deadline for the August special primary. I doubt that even in New Jersey that this can be undone.