The state of New Jersey held elections in 2013. Below are the dates of note:

• Signature filing deadline: April 1, 2013.
• Voter registration deadline for Primary election: May 14, 2013^[1].
• Primary date: June 4, 2013.
• Primary election date for the U.S. Senate special election: August 13, 2013.
• Voter registration deadline for General election: October 15, 2013^[2].
• General election date for the U.S. Senate special election: October 16, 2013.
• General election date: November 5, 2013.

On the 2013 ballot
U.S. Senate	a
U.S. House	d
State Executives	a
State Senate	a
State House	a
Ballot measures	a
Click here for all November 5, 2013 Election Results

2013 elections[edit]

The state of New Jersey held both regular and special elections in 2013.

Elections by type[edit]

Congressional[edit]

Congressional elections in New Jersey[edit]

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate special election in New Jersey, 2013

New Jersey held a special election for the U.S. Senate in 2013. The general election was held on October 16, 2013, following a primary election on August 13, 2013.^[3] In the August 13 primary election, Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan (R) won their respective parties' nominations in the special election primaries to succeed the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D).^[4][5] Cory Booker won the October 16 special election to serve out the remainder of Lautenberg’s term that expires in January 2015.^[6] Booker will then face voters again in 2014 for a full six-year term.^[7]

This special election was held to fill the vacancy left by the death of Senator Frank Lautenberg (D) on June 3, 2013.^[8] His seat was filled with a temporary replacement appointed by Governor Chris Christie until the special election to elect a permanent successor.^[9]

State Executives[edit]

State Executive elections in New Jersey[edit]

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

See also: New Jersey state executive official elections, 2013

The New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2013, following a statewide primary on June 4, 2013. Incumbent Governor Chris Christie (R) ran for a second term, and incumbent Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno also ran for re-election. The 2013 election marked only the second lieutenant gubernatorial election in New Jersey history and the second time Christie and Guadagno shared the Republican ticket.

Chris Christie won the Republican primary election and Barbara Buono won the Democratic primary election on June 4, 2013. Christie and Buono faced off in the November 5, 2013, election, which Christie won.^[10]

State Senate[edit]

State Senate[edit]

See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013

Elections for the office of New Jersey State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 4, 2013, and a general election on November 5, 2013 in all 40 of New Jersey's senate districts. New Jersey's state senators are elected to a four-year term that begins at noon of the second Tuesday in January.

Incumbency was a key factor in the results for New Jersey's elections for State Senate in 2013. The incumbent ran for re-election in 39 of the 40 seats up for election in 2013. Every one of those incumbents advanced past the primary and won in the general election. District 14 and District 38 saw the closest competition for incumbents; both Democrats. Peter Barnes, III (D) was the only newly-elected member of the New Jersey State Senate. He won election in an open seat contest.

Heading into the November 5 election, the Democratic Party held the majority in the New Jersey State Senate. The party lost no seats and remained the majority party after the 2013 election:

Click here to see the results from the June 4, 2013 primary election and November 5, 2013 general election.

The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 1, 2013. The deadline for objections to nomination petitions for primary election candidates was April 5, 2013. Independent candidates wishing to run in the general election were required to submit their nomination petitions by June 4, 2013. The deadline for objections to nomination petitions for independent general election candidates was June 10, 2013.^[11][12]

General Assembly[edit]

General Assembly[edit]

See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2013

Elections for the office of New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 4, 2013, and a general election on November 5, 2013.

As with the State Senate, incumbency was one of the strongest factors in the results for New Jersey's elections for State Assembly in 2013. A total of 74 incumbents appeared on the general election ballot. All but Nelson Albano (D) won re-election on November 5.

Heading into the November 5 election, the Democratic Party held the majority in the New Jersey General Assembly. The party lost two seats but remained the majority party after the 2013 election:

Click here to see the results from the June 4, 2013 primary election and November 5, 2013 general election.

The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 1, 2013. The deadline for objections to nomination petitions for primary election candidates was April 5, 2013. Independent candidates wishing to run in the general election were required to submit their nomination petitions by June 4, 2013. The deadline for objections to nomination petitions for independent general election candidates was June 10, 2013.^[13][14]

Statewide ballot measures[edit]

Statewide ballot measures in New Jersey[edit]

See also: New Jersey 2013 ballot measures

Two statewide ballot questions were certified for the November 5, 2013 statewide ballot in New Jersey.

• Both measures were legislatively referred constitutional amendments.
• Both was on the November 5, 2013 general election ballot.
• Nationwide, a total of thirty-one ballot measures appeared on the 2013 ballot.

New Jersey allows only legislatively referred constitutional amendments to appear on the ballot. In other words, a constitutional amendment appears on the state's ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature voted to put it before the voters. Specifically, this requires supermajority vote of 60% from both houses of the legislature. Measures can also qualify for the ballot if the same amendment is approved in successive sessions by a simple majority.

In addition to the two measures certified for the ballot in 2013, the Open Space Preservation Funding Amendment was approved by the New Jersey Senate, however, only by a simple majority. The measure still has a chance to appear on a 2014 ballot if it is approved by at least a simple majority.

New Jersey's state legislative session began January 10, 2013 and concluded on January 13, 2014. New Jersey has a full-time legislature therefore it meets throughout the year.

Topics on the New Jersey ballot included veterans and minimum wage. 2013 marks the first year that minimum wage has appeared on the ballot in New Jersey. Veteran issues last appeared on the ballot in 1999 when voters approved property tax deductions for veterans. The topic of gambling and gambling funds, however, has appeared on the ballot at least three times in New Jersey. Most recently, voters voted on New Jersey Sports Betting Amendment, Public Question 1 in 2011.

The following measures was on the 2013 statewide ballot:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Public Question 1	Veterans	Allows veterans' organizations to use money collected from existing games of chance to support their organizations	a
LRCA	Public Question 2	Minimum wage	Increases the state minimum wage	a

Related: 2013 ballot measures

Voting in New Jersey[edit]

See also: Voting in New Jersey

Important voting information[edit]

• Registered Democrats and Republicans can only vote for their own party in the primary.
• Any voter who has never on a previous occasion voted in a New Jersey primary election may declare a party affiliation at the poll.
• Independents may also decide which party to vote for.
• To register in New Jersey one must be a resident of New Jersey and the county at least 30 days prior to the election. If voters do not present an ID when registering or if identification cannot be verified, an ID is required to vote. Same day registration is not permitted.^[2][15]

For more information about voting in the 2013 primary election in New Jersey on June 4, 2013, click here.

For more information about voting in the 2013 general election in New Jersey on November 5, 2013, click here.

Voting absentee[edit]

See also: Absentee voting by state

For information about eligibility, deadlines, military and overseas voting and updates to the voting laws in New Jersey, please visit our absentee voting by state page.

Voting early[edit]

See also: Early voting

New Jersey allows voters to cast in-person absentee ballots. This allows a voter to fill out a ballot prior to the election and deliver it in person to an election official's office.^[16]

Elections Performance Index[edit]

See also: Pew Charitable Trusts' Elections Performance Index

New Jersey ranked 40th out of the 50 states and District of Columbia in the Pew Charitable Trusts' Elections Performance Index (EPI), based on the 2012 elections. The EPI examined election administration performance and assigned an average percentage score based on 17 indicators of election performance. These indicators were chosen in order to determine both the convenience and integrity of these three phases of an election: registration, voting and counting. New Jersey received an overall score of 58 percent.^[17]

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

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