Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Allowing Electronic Petition Submission and Signature Collection for Initiatives and Referenda

TRENTON — Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 132, allowing county and municipal clerks to accept initiative and referendum petitions electronically, and allowing signatures for these petitions to be collected electronically.

“Now is not the time for anyone to be going door-to-door to campaign or collect signatures for any purpose,” said Governor Murphy. “By allowing this process to move forward electronically, we can ensure that initiative and referendum campaigns proceed in a manner that protects public health.”

Under Governor Murphy’s executive order, a generic template of the online form for electronic signature and submission requirements shall be created by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Department of Law and Public Safety. This form shall be available for use by May 1, 2020.

Following the availability of the online form, county clerks and municipal clerks shall require that signatures for initiative and referendum petitions be gathered electronically. Hand signatures obtained prior to the effective date of this Executive Order shall also be accepted.

This order will take effect immediately.

A copy of Executive Order 132 can be found here.