Bill > S3353

Introduced Session

This bill transfers the Division of Elections from the Department of State to Department of Law and Public Safety and designates the Attorney General as the chief election official in this State. The bill also requires the division to be administered by two bipartisan co-directors. Under the bill, each co-director would be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. One co-director would be of the same political party as the Governor, and would be appointed upon the recommendation of the State party chairperson of that political party, the leader of that political party in the Senate, and the leader of that political party in the General Assembly. The second co-director would be of the political party that received the second largest number of votes at the most recent election for the office of Governor, and would be appointed upon the recommendation of the State party chairperson of that political party, the leader of that political party in the Senate, and the leader of that political party in the General Assembly. The co-directors would serve for a four-year term, to expire upon the expiration of the Governor's term of office. A co-director may be reappointed for future four-year terms. Any vacancy in the office of co-director would be filled for the remaining of the term in the same manner as the original appointment was made. The bill would take effect on January 1 next following the date of enactment, but the Secretary of State and the Attorney General may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as may be necessary for its implementation.

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Steven Oroho (R)*,  Gerald Cardinale (R),  Mike Testa (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/12/2021)