Three New Jersey lawmakers introduced legislation in the state assembly on Friday to move the June 3 date of the scheduled primary elections since it coincides with the holiday of Shavuot.
The two-day Jewish holiday begins on the evening of June 1 and ends after sundown on June 3, 2025.
Changing the date needs to be resolved through the state legislature.
To that end, bill A5149, which is being championed by Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), calls for the primary date to be moved one week to June 10 and allows for future adjustments to primary schedules if the date “coincides with a period of religious observance.” State Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald and Assemblymember Yvonne Lopez are also sponsoring the bill.
Moving the date has the support of the state’s political leadership.
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and everyone deserves the freedom to have their voice heard at the ballot box,” according to a statement signed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, State Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. “We have an obligation to encourage participation and ensure everyone can participate in and trust our electoral system. We cannot allow deeply held and legitimate religious beliefs to become a barrier to voting. We support moving the 2025 primary to June 10 and will work together to accomplish that goal,” they said.
More than 600,000 Jews live in New Jersey, making it the fourth-largest Jewish population in the United States after New York, California and Florida. Additionally, it has a large percentage of observant Jews in areas like Lakewood, Jackson, Teaneck and Bergenfield, who would be unable to vote in-person at the polls if the primary remains on June 3.
Kiran Sheth, a press aide for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, told JNS on Thursday that the governor recognizes that “many Orthodox Jewish voters are not able to work, travel, write or use electronics that day. The governor is committed to ensuring that our democratic process remains inclusive and accessible to all New Jersey voters.”
Linda Scherzer, head of the Jewish Community Relations Council for the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, said: “This is a very important year for the State of New Jersey in terms of the primaries. There are serious candidates running for the next governor of the state, and this will obviously affect us in a personal way. We feel on a profound level that we need to have the same access to the voting booth as every other person should have and every accommodation should be made.”
Among those running for the governorship on the Democratic ticket are Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka; and Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherill. Republican candidates include state Sen. Jon Bramnick and former state assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli.