Bill > A3822

Introduced Session

This bill changes the deadlines for mailing of mail-in ballots to voters from the 45th to the 38th day before an election, requires the number of ballots that have been received and the number of ballots that have been counted to be posted on the websites of the county boards of elections and Division of Elections, permits a count board of elections to establish a pickup schedule for mail-in ballots that are deposited in ballot drop boxes, and removes the ability to change party affiliation as an option at the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). Under the bill, the deadline for the preparation of the official primary and general elections ballot for printing is changed from the 50th to the 45th day before an election. The bill also changes the commencement of the mailing of mail-in ballot for primary and general elections from the 45th to the 38th before an election. The bill also requires that at the close of the polls on election day and in real time thereafter, each county board of elections, in consultation with the county clerk of that county, must list on its Internet site in an easily accessible location the number of ballots that have been received, have been counted, and are remaining to be counted. Each county board of elections must provide the ballot tabulations by the following categories: the number of early in-person ballots that have been received, have been counted, and are remaining to be counted; the number of vote-by-mail ballots that have been received, have been counted, and are remaining to be counted; the number of provisional ballots that have been received, have counted, and are remaining to be counted; and the number of election day ballots that have been received, have been counted, and are remaining to be counted. Under the bill, the county board of elections must provide real time reporting of the ballot tabulations by the listed categories until all eligible ballots are counted. The bill provides that each county board of elections must send the same list to the Secretary of State each day after the election by 8:00 P.M. until all eligible ballots are counted. Upon receipt of the number of ballots that have been received, have been counted, and are remaining to be counted by each category from each county board of elections, the Secretary of State is required to provide in an easily accessible location on the Internet site of the Division of Elections the total number of ballots for the State and for each county that have been received, have been counted, and are remaining to be counted by the same categories. Under the bill, the Secretary of State must provide the ballot tabulations each day after the election by 9:00 P.M until all eligible ballots are counted. The bill also provides that each county board of elections and the Division of Elections must note on their respective Internet site that the number of ballots that have been received, have been counted, and are remaining to be counted are unofficial ballot tabulations and are subject to change as each county board of elections receive and process ballots that have been cast in the election. The bill provides that a county board of elections may establish a pickup schedule to retrieve mail-in ballots deposited in ballot drop boxes. The bill also removes the ability to change party affiliation as an option at the MVC. The bill provides that if an applicant at the MVC chooses to update an existing voter registration, the applicant would not be offered the opportunity to change the applicant's party affiliation.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Craig Coughlin (D)*,  Joe Cryan (D)*,  Joe Danielsen (D)*,  John DiMaio (R)*,  Aura Dunn (R)*,  Sterley Stanley (D)*,  Andrew Zwicker (D)*,  Angelica Jimenez (D),  Angela Mcknight (D),  Nellie Pou (D),  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D), 

Approved P.L.2022, c.70. (on 07/28/2022)

Official Document