Bill Text: NJ S2225 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Eliminates requirement that notice of elections list polling place locations; requires notice include Division of Elections Internet site providing polling place locations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-23 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S2225 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S2225-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Eliminates requirement that notice of elections list polling place locations; requires notice include Division of Elections Internet site providing polling place locations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning polling place locations for voting in elections and amending Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.19:12-7 is amended to read as follows:
19:12-7. a. The county board in each county shall cause to be published in a newspaper or newspapers which, singly or in combination, are of general circulation throughout the county, a notice containing the information specified in subsection b. hereof, except for such of the contents as may be omitted pursuant to subsection c. or d. hereof. Such notice shall be published once during the 30 days next preceding the day fixed for the closing of the registration books for the primary election, once during the calendar week next preceding the week in which the primary election for the general election is held, once during the 30 days next preceding the day fixed for the closing of the registration books for the general election, and once during the calendar week next preceding the week in which the general election is held.
b. Such notice shall set forth:
(1) For the primary election for the general election:
(a) That a primary election for making nominations for the general election, for the selection of members of the county committees of each political party, and in each presidential year for the selection of delegates and alternates to national conventions of political parties, will be held on the day and between the hours [and at the places] provided for by or pursuant to this Title.
(b) The place or places at which and hours during which a person may register, the procedure for the transfer of registration, and the date on which the books are closed for registration or transfer of registration.
(c) The several State, county, municipal and party offices or positions to be filled, or for which nominations are to be made, at such primary election.
(d) The existence of registration and voting aids, including: (i) the availability of registration and voting instructions at places of registration as provided under R.S.19:31-6; and (ii), if available, the accessibility of voter information to the deaf by means of a telecommunications device.
(e) The availability of assistance to a person unable to vote due to blindness, disability or inability to read or write.
(f) In the case of the
notice published during the calendar week next preceding the week in which the
primary election is held, that
a voter who, prior to the election, shall have moved within the same county
without (i) filing, on or before the 21st day preceding the election, a notice
of change of residence with the commissioner of registration of the county or
the municipal clerk of the municipality in which the voter resides on the day
of the election, (ii) returning the confirmation notice sent to the voter by
the commissioner of registration of the county, if such a notice has been sent
to the voter, or (iii) otherwise notifying the commissioner of registration of
the voter's change of address within the county shall be permitted to correct
the voter's registration and to vote in the primary election by provisional
ballot at the polling place of the district in which the voter resides on the
day of the election. The notice shall further provide that the voter may
contact the county commissioner of registration or municipal clerk to determine
the proper polling place location for the voter or may obtain polling place
location information by electronic means from the Division of Elections
Internet site .
(2) For the general election:
(a) That a general election will be held on the day and between the hours [and at the places] provided for by or pursuant to this Title and, where applicable, shall include annual school elections held on that date.
(b) The place or places at which and hours during which a person may register, the procedure for transfer of registration, and the date on which the books are closed for registration or transfer of registration.
(c) The several State, county and municipal offices, and where applicable, school board offices to be filled, notice of any school district propositions to be submitted to the people and, except as provided in R.S.19:14-33 of this Title as to publication of notice of any Statewide proposition directed by the Legislature to be submitted to the people, the State, county and municipal public questions to be voted upon at such general election.
(d) The existence of registration and voting aids, including: (i) the availability of registration and voting instructions at places of registration as provided under R.S.19:31-6; and (ii) the accessibility of voter information to the deaf by means of a telecommunications device.
(e) The availability of assistance to a person unable to vote due to blindness, disability or inability to read or write.
(f) In the case of the notice published during the calendar week next preceding the week in which the general election is held, that a voter who, prior to the election, shall have moved within the same county without (i) filing, on or before the 21st day preceding the election, a notice of change of residence with the commissioner of registration of the county or the municipal clerk of the municipality in which the voter resides on the day of the election, (ii) returning the confirmation notice sent to the voter by the commissioner of registration of the county, if such a notice has been sent to the voter, or (iii) otherwise notifying the commissioner of registration of the voter's change of address within the county shall be permitted to correct the voter's registration and to vote in the general election by provisional ballot at the polling place of the district in which the voter resides on the day of the election. The notice shall further provide that the voter may contact the county commissioner of registration or municipal clerk to determine the proper polling place location for the voter or may obtain polling place location information by electronic means from the Division of Elections Internet site .
(3) For a school election:
(a) The day[,] and time [and place] thereof,
(b) The offices, if any, to be filled at the election,
(c) The substance of any public question to be submitted to the voters thereat,
(d) That a voter who, prior to the election, shall have moved within the same county without (i) filing, on or before the 21st day preceding the election, a notice of change of residence with the commissioner of registration of the county or the municipal clerk of the municipality in which the voter resides on the day of the election, (ii) returning the confirmation notice sent to the voter by the commissioner of registration of the county, if such a notice has been sent to the voter, or (iii) otherwise notifying the commissioner of registration of the voter's change of address within the county shall be permitted to correct the voter's registration and to vote in the school election by provisional ballot at the polling place of the district in which the voter resides on the day of the election,
(e) That if the voter has any questions as to where to vote on the day of the election, the voter may contact the county commissioner of registration or municipal clerk to determine the proper polling place location for the voter or may obtain polling place location information by electronic means from the Division of Elections Internet site ; and
(f) Such other information as may be required by law.
c. If such publication is made in more than one newspaper, it shall not be necessary to duplicate in the notice published in each such newspaper all the information required under this section, so long as:
(1) The municipal officers or party positions to be filled, or nominations made, or municipal public questions to be voted upon by the voters of any municipality, shall be set forth in at least one newspaper having general circulation in such municipality;
(2) All offices to be filled, or nominations made therefor, or public questions to be voted upon, by the voters of the entire State or of the entire county shall be set forth in a newspaper or newspapers which, singly or in combination, have general circulation throughout the county;
(3) Information relating to nominations and elections in each Legislative District comprised in whole or part in the county, shall be published in at least a newspaper or newspapers which singly or in combination, have general circulation in every municipality of the county which is comprised in such legislative district.
d. Such part or parts of the original notices as published which pertain to day of registration or primary election which has occurred shall be eliminated from such notice in succeeding insertions.
e. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1999, c.232.)
f. The cost of publishing the notices required by this section shall be paid by the respective counties, unless otherwise provided for by law.
g. Notices required to be published or posted pursuant to this section shall set forth a general description of the contents of the voter information notice provided for in section 1 of P.L.2005, c.149 (C.19:12-7.1), how the notice may be viewed or obtained prior to the day of an election, and that the notice will be posted in each polling place on the day of an election.
(cf: P.L.2011, c.202, s.25)
2. R.S.19:12-8 is amended to read as follows:
19:12-8. The notice required by section 19:12-7 of this Title shall include [the address of each polling place and] the place and telephone number and times at which a voter may make inquiry as to the location of the polling place in the district in which he resides.
(cf: P.L.1969, c.162, s.1)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would eliminate the list of polling place locations in the notice required by law to be published in newspapers by the county board in each county preceding a primary, general or school election. Currently, polling place locations are required to be included in the published notices for such elections.
The bill also requires that the notice state that the voter may obtain polling place location information for elections by electronic means on the New Jersey Division of Elections Internet site. Under current law, the notice need only provide that the voter may contact the county commissioner of registration or municipal clerk to obtain this information.
The purpose of the bill is to eliminate a requirement in the notice of elections that does not necessarily inform the voter of the polling place nearest to the voter's place of residence. The inclusion in the notice of a reference to the polling place location feature on the Division of Elections Internet site will direct each voter to utilize this search feature to identify the polling place location closest to the voter's home.
