Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Pursuant to Executive Order 216 (2021), as a measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, candidates can file their nominating petitions electronically. It is encouraged that nominating petitions be filed electronically rather than in-person. Petitions can be filed electronically 7 days a week, 24 hours a day with the exception of 4 p.m. on the petition filing deadline. Partisan candidate petitions for Governor of the State of New Jersey, N.J. State Senate- all 40 Legislative Districts and N.J. General Assembly- all 40 Legislative Districts must be received on or before 4:00 p.m. on April 5, 2021. Independent candidate petitions for Governor of the State of New Jersey, N.J. State Senate- all 40 Legislative Districts and N.J. General Assembly- all 40 Legislative Districts must be received by 4:00 p.m. on June 8, 2021.
If you do not have the capability to file your nominating petition electronically you can file in-person. PLEASE BE ADVISED: State Buildings are currently closed to the Public. As a result of the public not being allowed in State buildings, petitions being submitted in person require a petition filing appointment. Appointments are available now. Walk-ins will only be permitted on petition filing deadline day. However, candidates with appointments will be serviced first.
In-person filing of petitions will be accepted at two locations this year. The first location will be at the Museum Auditorium whose address is 205 W State St, Trenton, NJ 08608. The second location will be at 33 W. State Street, 4th Floor, Trenton, NJ 08608. The Division will confirm which location you are to report to when we confirm your appointment via email.
The process for filing petitions in-person at the Museum Auditorium are as follows: once you enter the building, a member of the Division’s staff will greet you. We will confirm with you, the number of petition booklets, number of pages and number of signatures you have brought in. We will record this information on the Petition Signature Confirmation sheet. Once both parties agree upon this information, both you and a DOE staff member will sign the document. You will be given a copy of the Petition Signature Confirmation sheet for your records. You can then choose to wait in the designated waiting area of the lobby while your petition is reviewed in its entirety or you can leave your petition and contact information and exit the building.
If you decide to wait, we ask that you provide a cell phone number in order to contact you once our review of your petition has been completed or if we have any questions. If you do not have a cell phone, we will return to the welcome area and call out to you to return back to the welcome area. We will then have you take a seat in the designated waiting area. Signs will be displayed directing you to the designated waiting area. Seats will be spaced at least six feet apart. The Division will continue our review of your petition ensuring that it contains the slogan(s), Oath of Allegiance, Certificate of Acceptance, Disclosure Statement of Criminal Conviction and/or an Affidavit of Circulator page if the traditional nominating petition was used. We will confirm that the Oath of Allegiance and Affidavit of Circulator page have been notarized. During our review, we will also verify that the candidate(s) are registered voters. If you utilized the traditional nominating petition, we will also confirm that the circulator is a registered voter/voter eligible. Upon the completion of our review, we will have you review and sign the Petition Check-off Sheet. A copy of the Petition Check-off Sheet will be provided to you for your records. You may then exit the building.
If you decide to leave, the Division will continue its review of your petition following the same steps as noted above. Upon the completion of our review, we will notify you via phone and will follow-up with an email of the status of your petition. We will email the Petition Check-off Sheet and ask that you please sign and return a signed copy to the Division.
The process for filing petitions in-person at the 33 W. State Street, 4th Floor are as follows: upon entering the building, you will need to sign-in with the guard on the 1st floor. After you sign-in you will enter the elevator and make your way up to the 4th floor. Once you exit the elevator, we will have signs displayed directing you to the window. Once you appear at the window, you will be greeted by a member of the Division’s staff. We will follow the same process and steps as the Museum Auditorium as noted above. The one d ifference with this location is the waiting area. The waiting area for this location is the 1st floor in the lobby. We will set up chairs in the lobby that are 6 feet apart. The other difference is that if you choose to wait while your petition is processed in its entirety and you do not have a cell, we will call the guard on the 1st floor and instruct them to send you up to the 4th floor.
Regardless of whether you have stayed or have left, our staff will make you aware of any discrepancies, if the discrepancies are curable and the deadline for which the curable discrepancies can be resolved. The following are some examples of petition discrepancies: a missing Certificate of Acceptance, Oath of Allegiance, Disclosure Statement of Criminal Conviction, Affidavit of Circulator page, slogan(s), slogan authorization letter(s), Oath of Allegiance or Affidavit of Circulator page has not been notarized, candidate(s) and/or a circulator(s) are not a registered voter. You have until 3 days after the petition filing deadline to cure this deficiency. The only discrepancy you cannot cure is adding signatures. Partisan candidates have until April 8, 2021 to cure any discrepancies. Independent candidates have until June 11, 2021 to cure any discrepancies.
Another key item is that you will need to complete a Covid-19 Health Assessment Form. This is a requirement in that we will be able to contact trace in the event that someone has COVID. This form will be provided to you electronically when we confirm your appointment. We ask that you please email the completed form to the Division of Elections the morning of your visit. The Division of Elections will confirm receipt of your form prior to your scheduled appointment time. If the form has not been received prior to appointment, you will be asked to complete a form upon your arrival. At the time of your appointment, you will be asked to verify that the information provided on your COVID 19 Health Assessment Form and has not changed.
We suggest filing your petition as early as possible!
Page Last Updated: 03/30/21
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