Constitutionally, New Jersey’s chief executive is one of the most powerful governors in the United States. The governor officially resides at Drumthwacket, located in Princeton but works out of an office in the State House in Trenton. A governor cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. The chief of the executive branch is the governor who is elected every four years to a four-year term. Voters must then approve the amendment in the following general election. The constitution can be amended through a resolution introduced in the legislature and approved by three-fifths of both houses or by majority vote in two consecutive years. The state court system was also reorganized. The governor's powers were increased and the term of office extended from three to four years.
Today's constitution was adopted in 1947.
The new constitution also gave the people (instead of the legislature) the right to elect the governor. In the mid-1800s, New Jersey citizens wanted a more democratic form of state government so the 1844 constitution was drafted, providing for the separation of powers among the legislative, judicial, and executive branches and including a bill of rights. The constitution has been rewritten twice to address issues that arose with the original and subsequent versions. During the Revolutionary War in 1776, the first constitution of the state of New Jersey was written to create a government framework for the state.