Bill Text: NJ A4249 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requires opportunity to vote early in person using paper ballots on October 16, 2013 for both general election and U.S. Senate vacancy candidates.*
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2013-09-09 - Absolute Veto, Received in the Assembly [A4249 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A4249-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires opportunity to vote early in person using paper ballots on October 16, 2013 for both general election and U.S. Senate vacancy candidates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As amended by the General Assembly on June 20, 2013.
AN ACT concerning the opportunity to vote early 1in person at a polling place1 for the general election of 2013 1[and designated as the "Elections Integrity Act."].1
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1[1. a. This act shall be known and may be cited as "The Elections Integrity Act."
b. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, October 16, 2013 shall be an early voting day for both the general election and the special election candidates. The special general election scheduled for October 16, 2013 by the Governor of this State through the writ of election signed by him on June 4, 2013 shall be considered an early voting day for both the vacancy in the office of United States Senator and for all offices and public questions to be voted on at the general election on November 5, 2013.
A duly registered voter shall be eligible to cast a vote at a designated polling place on the day of the early voting day scheduled for October 16, 2013, as designated by this section, to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate and also elect candidates for office to be elected on the general election day of November 5, 2013, and for any public questions required to be voted on by the voters on November 5, 2013. To accomplish the requirements of this section, the October 2013 special election ballot and the November 2013 general election ballot shall be combined. The same number of poll workers and voting machines normally allocated to each polling place to conduct an election shall be designated to conduct the October 2013 early voting. The votes cast early on October 16, 2013 shall be counted as provided by law for the counting of votes following the November general election.
The Secretary of State shall issue uniform guidelines and policies to be followed at each polling place for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this section, and shall provide appropriate notice to State, county, and local government officials and to the general public as to the availability of early voting required by this section. The November 2013 general election ballot shall include all candidates for the vacancy in the position of United States Senator.]1
11. a. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, October 16, 2013 shall be an in person early voting day for both the general election and the special election candidates. The special general election scheduled for October 16, 2013 by the Governor of this State through the writ of election signed by him on June 4, 2013 shall be considered an in person early voting day for both the vacancy in the office of United States Senator and for all offices and public questions to be voted on at the general election on November 5, 2013. A duly registered voter shall be eligible to cast a vote in person at a designated polling place on the day of the early voting day scheduled for October 16, 2013, as designated by this section, to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate and also elect candidates for office to be elected on the general election day of November 5, 2013, and for any public questions required to be voted on by the voters on November 5, 2013.
b. To accomplish the requirements of this section, the October 2013 special election ballot and the November 2013 general election ballot shall be combined. The same number of polling places and poll workers normally allocated in each municipality under Title 19 of the Revised Statutes to conduct a general election shall be designated to conduct the October 2013 early voting, except that all voting on that day shall be conducted using paper ballots. The ballot used on October 16, 2013 shall be labeled "Early Voting / Vote By Mail Ballot" and shall also be used to conduct vote-by-mail for the November 5, 2013 general election. Except for the conduct of voting using only the paper ballots specified herein at each polling place, the voting process for the in person early voting day designated herein shall be the same as that prescribed for the conduct of a general election under Title 19 of the Revised Statutes; provided that the ballots cast on October 16, 2013 shall be placed in a secured ballot box by the voter at each polling place and, at the end of the early voting day, the election officials conducting the election shall transport the secured ballots to a secure location at each county board of elections for safekeeping until the ballots are canvassed on November 5, 2013. The votes cast early on October 16, 2013 shall be counted as provided by law for the counting of votes following the November general election. Every provisional ballot voted on the in person early voting day and determined by a county board to be valid shall be counted and shall be part of the official tally of the results of the November 5, 2013 election. The November 2013 general election ballot shall include all candidates for the vacancy in the position of United States Senator.
c. (1) The appointment of challengers for the October 16, 2013 early voting day shall be in the same manner as provided in chapter 7 of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes for all elections. The name and address of each challenger, including a candidate acting as a challenger or a challenger representing a grouping of two or more candidates, together with the number or name and location of the polling place at which the challenger is to serve, shall be filed with the county board of elections not later than the fifth day preceding the start of the early voting day.
(2) Each challenger, including a candidate acting as a challenger or a challenger representing a grouping of two or more candidates, shall have all of the powers of challengers serving at other elections, as provided for in R.S.19:7-5 and by R.S.19:15-1 et seq.
(3) Any voter whose name does not appear on a challenge list but who is challenged as not qualified or entitled to vote by a challenger duly appointed pursuant to this section shall be entitled to the rights and protections provided by R.S.19:15-18 et seq., and every other applicable section of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.
d. The Secretary of State shall issue uniform guidelines and policies to be followed at each polling place for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this section, and shall provide appropriate notice to State, county, and local government officials and to the general public as to the availability of early voting required by this section. The Secretary of State shall specify a chain of custody for ballots and voted ballots and shall require, among other specifications deemed necessary by the Secretary of State and county boards of election, that all voted ballots shall be transferred at the end of the early voting day to county boards of election for safekeeping until canvassing on election day as required pursuant to this section.1
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
