Bill Text: NJ S2947 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Prohibits acceptance, offer, or provision of monetary or non-monetary compensation of mail-in ballot messengers or bearers; allows certain facility employees and volunteers to serve as messengers or bearers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-17 - Reported from Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading [S2947 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2947-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Senator GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits acceptance, offer, or provision of monetary or non-monetary compensation of mail-in ballot messengers or bearers; allows certain facility employees and volunteers to serve as messengers or bearers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee on June 17, 2024, with amendments.
An Act 1[prohibiting acceptance, offer, or provision of consideration to a] concerning1 mail-in ballot 1[messenger or bearer] messengers and bearers1 and amending P.L.2009, c.79.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 4 of P.L.2009, c.79 (C.19:63-4) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. A qualified voter is entitled to apply for and obtain a mail-in ballot by authorized messenger, who shall be so designated over the signature of the voter and whose printed name and address shall appear on the application in the space provided. The authorized messenger shall be a family member or a registered voter of the county in which the application is made and shall place his or her signature on the application in the space so provided in the presence of the county clerk or the designee thereof. No person shall serve as an authorized messenger or as a bearer for more than three qualified voters in an election, except that an authorized messenger or bearer may serve as such for up to five qualified voters in an election if those voters are immediate family members residing in the same household as the messenger or bearer.
No person who is a candidate in the election for which the voter requests a mail-in ballot shall be permitted to serve as an authorized messenger or bearer. The authorized messenger shall show a photo identification card to the county clerk, or the designee thereof, at the time the messenger submits the application form. The county clerk or the designee thereof shall authenticate the signature of the authorized messenger in the event such a person is other than a family member, by comparing it with the signature of the person appearing on a State of New Jersey driver's license, or other identification issued or recognized as official by the federal government, the State, or any of its political subdivisions, providing the identification carries the full address and signature of the person. After the authentication of the signature on the application, the county clerk or the designee thereof is authorized to deliver to the authorized messenger a ballot to be delivered to the qualified voter.
b. The Secretary of State shall cause to be prepared a standard authorized messenger application form, which may be included with the mail-in ballot application forms. The authorized messenger section of the application shall contain the following language above the signature of the authorized messenger: "I do hereby certify that I will deliver the mail-in ballot directly to the voter and no other person, under penalty of law."
c. 1[No person who serves as an authorized messenger or as a bearer shall accept consideration of any sort to serve, nor shall any person offer or give consideration of any sort to an authorized messenger or a bearer to serve. As used in this subsection, "consideration" means, but shall not be limited to, cash, goods, services, or intangible property] A person who serves as an authorized messenger or bearer shall not accept any monetary or non-monetary compensation to serve as an authorized messenger or bearer, nor shall any person offer or provide monetary or non-monetary compensation to a person to serve as an authorized messenger or bearer. A person who serves as an authorized messenger or bearer may receive a reimbursement for transportation costs associated with transporting a ballot as the authorized messenger or bearer.
An employee or volunteer of:
an organization exempt from federal taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.s.501(c)(3);
an acute care general hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.);
a nursing home, assisted living residence, comprehensive personal care home, residential health care facility, or dementia care home licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.); or
a veterans' memorial home supervised and operated by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,
may serve as an authorized messenger or as a bearer for a voter if no monetary or non-monetary compensation is provided to the employee or volunteer to serve as an authorized messenger or bearer that is in addition to the compensation typical for their regular employment or volunteer duties, except for reimbursements provided for transportation costs associated with transporting a ballot as the authorized messenger or bearer, as permitted in this subsection.
As used in this subsection, "non-monetary compensation" means, but shall not be limited to, goods, services, or intangible property1.
(cf: P.L.2020, c.71, s.6)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
