Party Affiliation Deadline

New Jersey's 2024 Primary Election is June 4th, 2024! 

A primary is an election that allows members of a political party to choose a candidate to represent them in an upcoming general election. In New Jersey, only voters who are registered members of a political party may participate in nominating that party’s candidates. Currently, only the Republican and Democratic parties use a primary election system to select nominees. 

 

Unaffiliated voters (voters currently not affiliated with any party) have multiple options to declare a party, including in-person at the polls. See additional information about how unaffiliated voters can participate in primary elections below. 
 
A registered voter currently affiliated with a political party who wishes to change their party affiliation must file a Political Party Affiliation Declaration Form 55 days before a Primary Election. 
 
The deadline to change party affiliation ahead of New Jersey's 2024 Primary Election is April 10, 2024.  Your county Commissioner of Registration must receive the form by this deadline.
 
If you are unsure of your party affiliation, please contact your Commissioner of Registration/Superintendent of Elections. 

 

Click HERE to find  the Political Party Affiliation Declaration Form.

 

Unaffiliated Voters:

  • All unaffiliated voters can declare their affiliation in-person at the polls on Primary Election Day or during the early voting period. 

 

Unaffiliated Voters on the Permanent Vote-By-Mail list:

  • Unaffiliated voters who automatically receive Vote-By-Mail Ballots will no longer be sent ballots for the primary election. Instead, to receive a Vote-By-Mail Ballot, these voters must declare a party by filling out a party affiliation declaration form and returning it to the municipal clerk or county Commissioner of Registration by the mail or in-person Vote-By-Mail application deadlines (see below). 

Unaffiliated voters not signed up to Vote-By-Mail that wish to do so:

  • Unaffiliated voters not signed up to Vote-By-Mail that wish to do so must declare their party and apply for a mail-in ballot by the Vote-By-Mail application deadlines click HERE.