by Sophie Nieto-Munoz, New Jersey Monitor
A bill to allow some 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections is headed to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk after both chambers of the Legislature advanced the bill Thursday.
The measure, sponsored by Democrats, would allow 17-year-old voters to cast ballots in June primaries if they are 18 by that year’s general election.
The bill’s supporters say it would help encourage good voting habits in Garden State youth.
“At a time when our politics is polarized and when too many people stay home on Election Day, it is time to empower a new generation of voters so that they may have a say in the future of our great state,” said Sen. Andrew Zwicker (D-Middlesex), the bill’s sponsor in the Senate.
The legislation, known as the “New Voter Empowerment Act,” was also sponsored by one of the Assembly’s youngest members, Bill Moen (D-Camden).
The bill advanced largely along party lines, with Republicans abstaining or voting against the measure in both chambers.
If signed into law, the bill’s effective date would be Jan. 1, 2026, meaning it would not be in effect for the next presidential election. Gov. Phil Murphy has indicated he would sign the bill.
Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., have passed similar laws allowing 17-year-olds to vote. Newark, the state’s largest city, is weighing an ordinance that would allow residents as young as 16 to vote in school board elections, the first law of its kind in the state.
New Jersey previously attempted to extend the right to vote to 17-year-olds in 2016, but then-Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the measure.