Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr.

ROBERTS BILL GIVING NJ VOTERS EARLY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY HEADS TO GOVERNOR'S DESK

(TRENTON) - The General Assembly today passed legislation sponsored by Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., that would move New Jersey's presidential primary election date to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February, joining as many as 22 other states mulling a similar change.

"For years, New Jersey's primary date guaranteed that our residents were left on the sidelines when it came time for selecting presidential candidates," said Roberts (D-Camden).  "It's past time New Jersey voters moved from back of the class to front of the class in determining who should lead this nation."

The legislation (S-2193/A-4010), which passed the Senate and has the support of the governor, would ensure that New Jersey voters become a part of what is being called the biggest change in presidential primary politics in decades.

The National Association of Secretaries of State lists 22 other states that have changed, or are considering changing, the date of their presidential primaries to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February, or February 5 in 2008.  They are:  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada (GOP primary), New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

Only a handful of other jurisdictions would hold presidential nominations before New Jersey if the date change were enacted:  the District of Columbia, Iowa, Nevada (Democratic caucuses), New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Wyoming (Republican caucuses).  North Dakota and Ohio have yet to schedule their contests, but also are expected to select February dates.

New Jersey's presidential primary has been held in June - the last in the nation - for decades.  The late date, however, often left New Jersey voters in the lurch as the major parties effectively decided their respective nominees through primaries in other states months before New Jersey's.

To remedy the situation, legislation was enacted in 2005 to move New Jersey's primary date to the end of February.  For 2008, that date would have been February 26.  But the effectiveness of that date change was compromised last summer when the Democratic National Committee rearranged its primary calendar so all but a select few states would have their primaries before New Jersey's.

To counteract this change, Speaker Roberts has worked with Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) to advance legislation that would further move the date of New Jersey's presidential primary election.

"New Jersey residents should not be treated like second-class citizens in the presidential election process," said Roberts.  "It's time the major political parties stopped treating New Jersey as an afterthought when choosing a president."

If New Jersey moves ahead with the date change to early February - the second such primary rescheduling in two years - the new date will present some new costs for county elections agencies.  To help election officials deal with the costs, Speaker Roberts sent a letter to Governor Corzine requesting that additional money be provided in next year's budget to help counties meet the expedited presidential primary date.

"The state obviously has a stake in seeing to it that this primary is conducted flawlessly with as much voter participation as possible," said Roberts.

Roberts has long expressed misgivings about the fact that presidential contenders view New Jersey as an electoral ATM machine that they can access for political contributions while ignoring the state's voters in the primary process.

"New Jersey has just as much a stake in the presidential electoral process as any other state," Roberts said.  "New Jersey should be coveted for more than just the millions of dollars that residents contribute to the various campaigns.  Presidential contenders need to covet our primary votes as well."

The measure passed the Assembly 57-20-2.  It now heads to the Governor, who may sign it, veto it, or modify it in the form of a conditional veto.

--30--