TRENTON, NJ – An effort to recall New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in 2019 fell short of getting the required number of signatures and failed to accomplish its goal, but a new filing this year has been flat out rejected by the state’s division of elections. New Jersey resident Alexander Spielman filed with the state to recall the governor but received a letter this week notifying him of the state’s rejection.
“The Division of Elections received your notice of intention to recall Governor Philip Dunton Murphy on September 21, 2020. Pursuant to NJSA 19:27 A-6, the notice of intention requires a statement as to whether the recall election shall be held at the next general election…or at a special election,” the letter read. “Your notice of intention failed to include a statement with a legal date for the recall election. For this reason, your notice of intention has been rejected.”
Spielman said the state notified him that if he chose to hold a special election ahead of the 2021 election, he would have to incur the costs of that special election.
The letter continued, please be advised that the recall election cannot be included on the November 2020 ballot as ballots have already been printed. Additionally, no election to recall an official shall be held after the date occurring six months prior to the general election or regular election for that office, as appropriate, in the final year of the official’s term.
Due to the timing of this year’s election and next year’s election, the state says the next available window to recall the governor, should he win in 2021 would be after January 2023, after having served more than one year of his new term.