Gov. Phil Murphy signed P.L.2023, c.124 (bill number A5175) into law July 20, 2023, resulting in changes relative to some submission due dates related to November school elections and to special elections. The revised Election Calendar for special elections can be accessed through the link on the New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of School Finance webpage.
In an advisory, the NJDOE announced that pursuant to P.L.2023, c.124, unposted dates related to Title 19 submissions for November elections have been revised to reflect the following:
- The withdrawal of a candidate pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:60-7 will now be on the 81st day before the date of the November election, which was Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.
- The deadline to submit public questions to the clerk pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:60-4 will be not later than 10 a.m. of the 74th day prior to the November election, which is Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (Note: there has been no change to the date that questions had to be determined and certified by the district board of education, which was May 15, 2023, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:22-32.)
- The official ballot for printer, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:14-1, will be on or before the 64th day prior to election, which is Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. Due to Labor Day, this will be moved to Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023.
- The board of education certification of election results will change pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:19-1, which updated the meeting of the board of county canvassers of each county to the fifteenth day after the election, at 12 p.m., at the courthouse of the county, for the purpose of checking the canvass. Within two days of that meeting, the board of education must certify the election results per N.J.S.A. 18A:22-33, which is Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.
Dates related to special elections have been revised in the posted calendar:
- The deadline to submit public questions to the clerk pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:60-4 will be not later than 10 a.m. on the 60th day preceding a special school election. New lines have been added to the special elections calendar to reflect these dates for each of the remaining 2023 special elections.
- A revision to N.J.S.A. 19:60-2 permits the commissioner of education to move the dates of special elections if the date falls within 45 days of a primary election or a general election. No special election dates have been moved for 2023. These dates remain the same in the revised calendar.
For all other election types, the calendar has not changed from the original version.
November election districts, and districts planning to hold special elections, should review the revised deadlines above and plan accordingly to comply with revised due dates.
Questions regarding the 2023 School Election and Budget Procedures Calendar can be sent via email.