Yeah, can you believe that until now we didn't matter? (If you live in NJ, you'll know what I mean!)

N.J. presidential primary moving to February

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey's 2008 presidential primary will be held four months earlier - in February instead of June - as part of a package of bills signed into law Thursday by acting Gov. Richard J. Codey.

The primary date change was among four pieces of legislation Codey promoted to improve the electoral process.

The new primary date will be the last Tuesday in February.

Last year, John Kerry had become the Democratic Party's obvious choice by the time Garden State voters went to the polls in June. Codey and others have said the late date muted New Jersey's voice in the candidate selection process.

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The other bills:

-Allow more time to register to vote by moving the deadline to 21 days before an election, instead of 29.

-Require voting machines to produce a voter-verified paper record for each vote cast.

-Allow any registered voter to use an absentee ballot rather than showing up in person at the polls. Previously, absentee ballots were only provide to voters who could prove they were ill or disabled or would be away from their homes on election day.

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