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New Jersey elections, 2013
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 | ||||
| U.S. House | ||||
| State Executives | ||||
| State Senate | ||||
| State House | ||||
| Ballot measures | ||||
| Click here for all November 5, 2013 Election Results | ||||
2013 elections
The state of New Jersey held both regular and special elections in 2013.
Elections by type
Congressional
Congressional elections in New Jersey
U.S. Senate
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
State Executive elections in New Jersey
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
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
State Senate
- 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:
| New Jersey State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 4, 2013 | After the 2013 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 24 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 16 | 16 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
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
General Assembly
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:
| New Jersey General Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 4, 2013 | After the 2013 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 48 | 48 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | 32 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 | |
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
Statewide ballot measures in New Jersey
- 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 | |
| LRCA | Public Question 2 | Minimum wage | Increases the state minimum wage |
- Related: 2013 ballot measures
Voting in New Jersey
- See also: Voting in New Jersey
Important voting information
- 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
- 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
- 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
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
Footnotes
- ↑ New Jersey Secretary of State, "How to Register," accessed March 18, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New Jersey Division of Elections, "Voting Information" accessed March 18, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "Chris Christie calls August, October special elections in New Jersey" accessed June 4, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedresults - ↑ NY Times, "Cory Booker, Newark’s Mayor, Handily Wins New Jersey Senate Primary," accessed August 13, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedprimary - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednbc - ↑ Huffington Post, "Frank Lautenberg Dead: New Jersey Senator Dies At 89," June 3, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post, "Sen. Frank Lautenberg dead at 89" accessed June 3, 2013
- ↑ NJToday, "NJ Decides 2013 Primary Election Results," accessed June 5, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Primary Election Timeline," accessed January 14, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 General Election Timeline," accessed January 14, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Primary Election Timeline," accessed January 14, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 General Election Timeline," accessed January 14, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ New Jersey Elections, "Voter ID requirements" accessed March 18, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ Pew Charitable Trusts, "Election Performance Index Report," accessed April 23, 2014
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