New Jersey's 2027 primary is on Tuesday, June 8, 2027, and the general election is on Tuesday, November 2, 2027, both based on state law. The first deadline that matters to most candidates is 4 p.m. on Monday, March 29, 2027, when nominating petitions are due for the primary. That deadline covers State Senate and General Assembly candidates, county candidates, and municipal candidates in towns with partisan elections. Independent candidates file by 4 p.m. on primary day, June 8.
Some candidates file earlier. Petitions for nonpartisan May municipal elections are due by Thursday, February 25, 2027, and petitions for April school board elections are due by 4 p.m. on Monday, March 1, 2027.
The New Jersey Division of Elections had not posted its 2027 timelines when we checked in November 2026, so every 2027 date here is computed from the statute that sets it and marked "based on state law." The Legislature can change election dates, so confirm each date with your county or municipal clerk. For the full process of getting on the ballot, start with our guide to running for local office in New Jersey.
Which calendar applies to you
| Your race | Election | Petition deadline | File with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan municipal election in May | Tuesday, May 11, 2027 | Thursday, February 25, 2027 | Municipal clerk |
| School board, April district | Tuesday, April 20, 2027 | 4 p.m., Monday, March 1, 2027 | Board of education secretary |
| Party primary: State Senate, General Assembly | Primary Tuesday, June 8, 2027 | 4 p.m., Monday, March 29, 2027 | Secretary of State |
| Party primary: county office | Primary Tuesday, June 8, 2027 | 4 p.m., Monday, March 29, 2027 | County clerk |
| Party primary: municipal office | Primary Tuesday, June 8, 2027 | 4 p.m., Monday, March 29, 2027 | Municipal clerk |
| Independent or other candidate for the November ballot | Tuesday, November 2, 2027 | 4 p.m., Tuesday, June 8, 2027 | Secretary of State (Legislature) or county clerk (others) |
| School board, November district | Tuesday, November 2, 2027 | 4 p.m., Monday, July 26, 2027 | County clerk |
| Nonpartisan municipal election in November | Tuesday, November 2, 2027 | Thursday, August 19, 2027 | Municipal clerk |
Under current law, only the Democratic and Republican parties hold primaries, so candidates of those two parties file a primary petition. Every other candidate for the November ballot, including independents and candidates of other parties, files a petition for direct nomination. Beacon's guide to New Jersey nominating petitions explains the forms, signature numbers and circulator rules for each one.
Before filing: November and December 2026
Sunday, November 15, 2026, if you plan to text. A Campaign Verify request made before this date expires on Sunday, January 31, 2027. A request made on or after it lasts until Wednesday, January 31, 2029, which covers every 2027 date on this page.
By January 1, 2027. The Secretary of State must publish the petition forms for the primary by January 1 of each year with a primary (N.J.S.A. 19:23-7.1). Use the current form from your filing officer.
The first working day in January. If the April school election date or the May municipal election date must move for a period of religious observance, the Commissioner of Education or the Secretary of State must announce it by the first working day in January (N.J.S.A. 19:60-1; N.J.S.A. 40:45-7).
February and March 2027: the first deadlines
Thursday, February 25, 2027 (based on state law). Petitions due for the nonpartisan municipal election on May 11 (the 75th day before the election, N.J.S.A. 40:45-8). The Division's 2026 timeline listed the matching 2026 deadline at 4 p.m., so ask your municipal clerk for the closing hour.
Monday, March 1, 2027, 4 p.m. (based on state law). Petitions due for April school board elections (the 50th day before the election, N.J.S.A. 19:60-7). Objections to May municipal petitions are also due on this day.
Friday, March 5, 2027, 4 p.m. (based on state law). Objections due to April school board petitions.
Monday, March 29, 2027, 4 p.m. (based on state law). Primary petitions due (the 71st day before the primary, N.J.S.A. 19:23-14). On this date, county clerks and municipal clerks also exchange notices of the county and municipal offices to be elected in November.
Tuesday, March 30, 2027 (based on state law). Voter registration deadline for the April 20 school election.
April 2027: challenges and the school election
Thursday, April 1, 2027, 4 p.m. (based on state law). Last day to amend a defective primary petition. An amendment may fix a defect in form or substance but may not add signatures (N.J.S.A. 19:23-20).
Friday, April 2, 2027, 4 p.m. (based on state law). Objections to primary petitions due to the officer who received them (N.J.S.A. 19:23-20.1).
Wednesday, April 7, 2027 (based on state law). Deadline for the filing officer to decide objections to primary petitions.
Wednesday, April 14, 2027 (based on state law). Deadline for voters to file a form changing party affiliation for the primary (the 55th day before, N.J.S.A. 19:23-45).
Tuesday, April 20, 2027 (based on state law). April school board election, in districts that have not moved their election to November. It is also the voter registration deadline for the May 11 municipal election.
Saturday, April 24, 2027 (based on state law). Mail-in ballots for the primary begin going out (45 days before).
May 2027: the nonpartisan municipal election
Friday, May 7 to Sunday, May 9, 2027 (based on state law). Early voting for the May election, only in municipalities that adopted an ordinance to hold it. An ordinance may instead start early voting on Monday, May 3 (N.J.S.A. 19:15A-1).
Tuesday, May 11, 2027 (based on state law). Nonpartisan municipal elections, held on the second Tuesday in May.
Tuesday, May 18, 2027 (based on state law). Voter registration deadline for the June 8 primary (21 days before, N.J.S.A. 19:31-6).
June 2027: the primary
Tuesday, June 1 to Sunday, June 6, 2027 (based on state law). In-person early voting for the primary, from the 7th to the 2nd calendar day before it (N.J.S.A. 19:15A-1). Early voting sites are open at least 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. June 1 is also the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail; in-person applications are accepted until 3 p.m. on Monday, June 7.
Tuesday, June 8, 2027 (based on state law). Primary election, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (N.J.S.A. 19:2-1). Petitions for direct nomination, for independents and candidates of parties without a primary, are due by 4 p.m. on primary day (N.J.S.A. 19:13-9).
Tuesday, June 15, 2027 (based on state law). Runoff for the May 11 election, only in municipalities that have adopted runoff elections. The usual date, the fourth Tuesday after the election, is primary day in 2027, so state law moves the runoff to the fifth Tuesday (N.J.S.A. 40:45-19).
July and August 2027: November school and municipal petitions
Monday, July 26, 2027, 4 p.m. (based on state law). Petitions due for November school board elections, filed with the county clerk (the last Monday in July, N.J.S.A. 19:60-7).
Thursday, August 5, 2027 (based on state law). Last day to amend a November school board petition, and the county clerk's deadline to decide objections (10 days after filing).
Friday, August 13, 2027 (based on state law). Withdrawal deadline for November school board candidates (81 days before the election).
Thursday, August 19, 2027 (based on state law). Petitions due for nonpartisan municipal elections held in November (75 days before, N.J.S.A. 40:45-8).
September to December 2027: the general election
Saturday, September 18, 2027 (based on state law). Mail-in ballots begin going out for the general election.
Tuesday, October 12, 2027 (based on state law). Voter registration deadline for the general election.
Saturday, October 23 to Sunday, October 31, 2027 (based on state law). In-person early voting, from the 10th to the 2nd calendar day before the election.
Tuesday, October 26, 2027 (based on state law). Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail.
Tuesday, November 2, 2027 (based on state law). General election, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, December 7, 2027 (based on state law). Runoff for November nonpartisan municipal elections, only where runoffs have been adopted.
Set up texting before early voting
Early voting for the primary opens on Tuesday, June 1. Set up texting in the winter, so your reminders are ready.
- Form your committee, then check that its filing is online. Campaign Verify costs $95 per two-year cycle. It needs a 527 committee (527 is the federal tax status of a political committee), an EIN (the committee's federal tax ID number) and a filing with an election authority that is published online. Candidates with no committee are not eligible. Ask the Election Law Enforcement Commission where your committee's filing can be viewed online, and if you cannot find it, contact Campaign Verify Support before you request.
- Open your CampaignCNX+ account. CampaignCNX+ files your registration with the carriers (the mobile phone companies), either as 10DLC (the registration for texting from a standard local-style number) or as toll-free. You buy the $95 Campaign Verify token from Campaign Verify, and CampaignCNX+ files it with your registration. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month.
- Schedule your reminders. Write short texts for the voter registration deadline (May 18), the first day of early voting (June 1) and primary day (June 8). Send them only to supporters who agreed in writing to receive your texts, and end each person's first message with "Reply STOP to opt out." Texts send only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone.
Our campaign plan to the June 8, 2027 New Jersey primary turns these dates into a weekly schedule, and our post on Campaign Verify for local candidates explains verification. For texting rules that apply to every campaign, see political texting.
Put your deadline on the calendar now
Find your row in the table above and confirm the date and filing office with your clerk. When you are ready to keep your supporters informed, start a CampaignCNX+ trial once your committee filing is in place.
