Early Voting In NJ's 2022 Primary Election: What To Know

NEW JERSEY - While the New Jersey 2022 primary election doesn't take place until June 7, voters are already lining up at around 130 locations across the state to cast their ballots.

That’s because early-voting locations will become available in all New Jersey counties from Friday, June 3 to Sunday, June 5. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. No appointment is necessary.

This year’s primary will feature local and county seats on the ballot, as well as spots for U.S. Congress. You can click here to find your nearest early voting location.

Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law an expansion of early-voting availability, allowing voters to cast ballots in-person before elections for a period that includes a weekend day. Read more: Gov. Murphy Signs New Law Expanding Voting Access In New Jersey

"Just think about that for a second, if you're a senior, if you're vulnerable or you're working 80 hours a week and if you knew it was not just vote-by-mail which is a huge flexibility that takes some steam out of the challenge," Murphy said in 2020, before the bill was signed. "But if you think of having not just one day to vote but had one place that was open per county that was open, say, 30 days before the election."

In New Jersey primary elections, voters may only cast a ballot for the candidate(s) representing the party in which they are registered. Unaffiliated voters can vote in the Primary Election by declaring a party when voting at a polling location or selecting one ballot, Democrat or Republican, if voting by mail.

Registered voters who wish to vote by mail instead can apply for a vote-by-mail ballot by following the instructions found at vote.nj.gov or contacting their county clerk. Ballots must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. on Election Day, and must be received by their county's Board of Elections on or before the sixth day after the close of the polls.

Voters can also place their vote-by-mail ballot in one of their county's secure ballot drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Drop box locations can be seen online here.

NJ 101.5 reports that about 220,000 vote-by-mail ballots have already been submitted before the June 7 primary election.

For those who wish to cast their ballots on June 7, polls will be open for in-person voting from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Find your local polling place here.