Bill Text: NJ A4038 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires blank nominating petition forms for municipal candidates to be made available only from municipal clerks.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A4038 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4038-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GREGORY P. MCGUCKIN
District 10 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires blank nominating petition forms for municipal candidates to be made available only from municipal clerks.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning blank nominating petition forms for municipal candidates and supplementing Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the blank forms of petitions to be used by candidates to be voted for at the general election by the voters of a single municipality shall be made available only from the municipal clerks of the respective municipalities wherein the officer or officers nominated are to be voted for.
2. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the blank forms of petitions to be used by candidates to be voted for at the primary election by the voters of a political party of a single municipality shall be made available only from the municipal clerks of the respective municipalities wherein the officer or officers nominated are to be voted for.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires blank nominating petition forms for municipal candidates to be made available only from municipal clerks.
Under current law, completed petitions are filed by candidates with the respective election officer or officers - such as the Secretary of State, county clerks, or municipal clerks - depending on whether the race is Statewide, countywide, or only within a single municipality. Certain counties make the blank petition forms for countywide and municipal races available at the county clerk's office or on an official county website. However, other counties do not provide the blank municipal petition forms but instead provide a link or telephone number where the municipal candidate can contact the respective municipal clerk to obtain the form.
Under this bill, the blank forms of petitions to be used by candidates to be voted for by the voters of a single municipality would be made available only from the municipal clerks of the respective municipalities where the nominated candidates are to be voted for. This would apply with respect to both primary and general election petitions.
