Same-Day Provisional Registrations Raise Questions in New Jersey’s 2024 General Election
New Jersey law is clear on the matter of voter registration deadlines. Under N.J.S.A.19:31-6, a person must be registered at least 21 days prior to an election in order to be eligible to vote. Yet, data from the November 5, 2024 General Election shows that 1,250 provisional ballots were cast by individuals who registered on the very same day that they voted. This phenomenon raises important questions about election procedures, compliance with statutory deadlines, and the integrity of the voter registration process.
County-by-County Breakdown
The figures reveal significant disparities across New Jersey’s 21 counties. The largest concentrations occurred in Essex County (432 voters) and Hudson County (427 voters) — together making up nearly 70%of all same-day provisional registrations statewide. Burlington County followed with 198 voters, while Camden reported 41. Several other counties recorded modest numbers, including Mercer (30), Union(32), and Middlesex (11).
By contrast, a number of counties reported either zero same-day provisional registrations (Cape May, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren) or just a handful, such as Bergen (2), Cumberland (2), and Salem (1).
