Bill Text: NJ S2453 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires earlier mandatory polling hours for school elections; requires discretionary additional polling hours be consistent with current primary and general elections.*
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2016-01-11 - Approved P.L.2015, c.181. [S2453 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-S2453-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires polls for school elections to close at 8:00 p.m. to be consistent with general and primary elections.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning polling hours for school elections and amending R.S.19:15-2.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.19:15-2 is amended to read as follows:
19:15-2. The district boards shall open the polls for such election at 6:00 A.M. and close them at 8:00 P.M., and shall keep them open during the whole day of election between these hours; except that for a school election held at a time other than at the time of the general election the polls shall be open between the hours of 5:00 P.M. and [9:00] 8:00 P.M. and during any additional time which the school board may designate between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and [9:00] 8:00 P.M.
The board may allow one member thereof at a time to be absent from the polling place and room for a period not exceeding one hour between the hours of 1:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. or for such shorter time as it shall see fit.
At no time from the opening of the polls to the completion of the canvass shall there be less than a majority of the board present in the polling room or place, except that during a school election held at a time other than at the time of the general election there shall always be at least one member of each district election board present or if more than two district board members are designated to serve at the polling place, at least two members present.
(cf: P.L.2011, c.202, s.31)
2. This act shall take effect on January 1 next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would provide that the polls for school elections would close by 8:00 p.m. Under the current law, if a school election is not held at the same time as the general election, the polls must stay open until 9:00 p.m. The change in closing time for polls for school elections is consistent with the closing time for polls for the general and primary elections.
A uniform time for the closing of polls in school elections and the general and primary elections may eliminate potential confusion of voters as to when polls are open.
