JON S. CORZINE
Governor

Nina Mitchell Wells
Secretary of State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2008

Contact: Press Office
609-777-4413

Deadline for Political Switch Approaching for June Primary

Trenton, NJ - Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells wishes to inform New Jersey voters that the deadline to switch political party affiliation for the upcoming June 3 primary election is Monday, April 14.

In New Jersey , a voter can affiliate with one of the following parties: Conservative, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law, Republican, Reform and U.S. Constitution. It is only the Democrat and Republican parties, however, that hold a primary election. We want to stress there is no Court Order requiring any county to release voting machines to the plaintiffs in the Gusciora case.

Any affiliated voter who wishes to switch to the Democratic or Republican Party in order to vote in that party's primary must file a political party affiliation form with the proper municipal clerk or county commissioner of registration no later than 50 days before the primary election .

These forms are available at county and municipal offices, and may also be downloaded from the Division of Elections Web site:  www.njelections.org .

Secretary Wells also advises that unaffiliated voters – those not registered with any party – do not have to file an affiliation form prior to the June 3 election. Those voters can affiliate with either the Democratic or Republican party at the polling place on Election Day, or when voting by absentee ballot.

More information can be found on the Division's website: www.njelections.org .

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