New Jersey’s primary election was postponed to June 10 due to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
The state’s primary election was originally scheduled for June 3 – in accordance with state election law, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June. However, Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders agreed with religious leaders, activists and candidates who argued that the date should be changed to accommodate the religious holiday.
The bipartisan bill passed the Senate and Assembly unanimously on December 19, and Murphy signed it into law on December 31.
Rabbi Yehuda Spritzer of Chabad House of Monroe said the state leaders’ decision was “very uplifting, especially in this time when there is so much anti-Semitism.”
“I am very pleased that the state of New Jersey recognizes how important it is to allow Jews to maintain their traditions,” he said.
He said observant Jews would now “be able to vote and have their voices heard along with all others.”
» READ MORE: New Jersey gubernatorial candidates agree on one thing: the primary date should be changed to include Shavuot
Shavuot, a holiday celebrating the Ten Commandments, begins at sunset on Sunday, June 1 and ends on the night of June 3. Some who celebrate this holiday, on the first evening, as part of their observance, study Jewish law all night long. Voting is not an option for observant Jews who do not drive, exploit electronics, text or travel during the holidays.
A group of more than 60 rabbis and nonprofit leaders, including Spritzer, called for a change of dateclaiming it would impact community members’ right to vote.
After a public invitation, Democratic U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill, former Democratic Rep. Steve Sweeney and Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick, all candidates for governor, signed a letter asking the state Legislature to reschedule.
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After Murphy signed the bill, Gottheimer he said on X that he is “so proud that he has helped lead the charge to ensure that all Jewish voters can fully exercise their right to vote.”
Last year, Maryland lawmakers similarly changed their state’s primary date to include Passover and Ramadan.
In Pennsylvania, efforts to change the date of the 2024 primary election for Passover failed because lawmakers couldn’t agree on a date.
Any registered voter may vote by mail in Pennsylvania or New Jersey for those who cannot attend the polls in person. But in Pennsylvania, some Jewish leaders found this absentee ballot delays in Montgomery County left a petite window for voting on Jewish vacation travelers last year.
However, New Jersey also offers early in-person voting, unlike Pennsylvania, which offers satellite election offices in some counties where absentee ballots can be completed and returned.
But New Jersey religious leaders support changing the date he argued that appear in the polls on primary election day is still the most popular way to vote.
The gubernatorial candidates argued that the state should maximize voting access.
“At a time when voters have more doubts than ever about the integrity of our elections, this is undoubtedly the right thing to do,” the candidates wrote in their letter.
