Unaffiliated NJ Voters Must Declare Party By April 12 To Vote By Mail In June 6 Primary

New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way is reminding unaffiliated voters, those who have not registered as a voter of a specific political party, that if they want to vote by mail in the upcoming June 6, 2023 Primary Election, they must declare a party affiliation by April 12, 2023. This deadline ONLY applies to those unaffiliated voters who want to vote using a mail-in ballot in the upcoming Primary Election.

The New Jersey Division of Elections provided the following guidance to inform their registered voters of this important deadline:

“New Mail-In Ballot Rules for Unaffiliated Primary Election Voters

In an effort to strengthen election integrity and ballot security, County Clerks will no longer be sending mail-in ballots to unaffiliated voters for primary elections. Assembly Bill 3820, requires unaffiliated voters to declare affiliation with the Democratic or Republican party before they may be issued a primary election mail-in ballot. County Clerks are to send unaffiliated mail-in voters a notice instructing the voters how to affiliate with the Democratic or Republican party, a political party affiliation declaration form, and information on how they may vote in person at a polling place for the primary election.

An unaffiliated voter who has voted in previous primary elections, but still wishes to vote by mail must affiliate with a political party on, or before the April 12 deadline for political party affiliation. Voters who are not affiliated with a political party and have not previously voted in a primary election may affiliate with a political party and apply for a mail-in ballot through the 3 p.m. June 5 deadline for in-person ballot requests. Any unaffiliated voter may declare a party affiliation and vote at a polling location on primary election day.”

Unaffiliated Mail In Voters should have received notification about this deadline from their County Clerk.

Please note: Unaffiliated voters who would like to vote in person for the Primary Election (whether during the early voting period from June 2-4 or on Primary Election Day June 6) can declare their party affiliation at their polling location and vote.