S 1649 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Establishes ranked-choice voting procedure for presidential primaries and general elections for electors for United States President and Vice-President.

This bill would change how New Jersey voters cast ballots for president by implementing ranked-choice voting in both presidential primaries and the general election for presidential electors. Voters would rank candidates in order of preference (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd), and ballots would be counted in rounds: if no candidate reaches 50%+1 votes in the first count, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their ballots are redistributed to the next ranked choice until one candidate achieves the threshold. The bill requires ballots to allow ranking at least six candidates and directs the Secretary of State to create implementation guidelines. It would take effect immediately but remain inactive until voting machines are certified to support the new system, likely requiring a 12-month delay after certification.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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