Bill > S901

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Secretary of State to create a website for voters to report irregularities regarding mail-in ballots they receive. The bill also establishes the "Vote by Mail Study Commission." Under the bill, the secretary would establish on the Division of Elections website a link for voters to report irregularities concerning a mail-in ballot received by the voter. The link would enable the voter to complete a form containing the voter's name, address, and contact information, and sufficient space for the voter to describe the issues with the mail-in ballot. The form may also include choices for the voter to select from among possible irregularities concerning a mail-in ballot, such as when the intended recipient of the ballot does not reside at that address or is deceased. The website would automatically forward each form to the appropriate county clerk, county board of elections, and county superintendent of elections, as the case may be, for follow-up. The bill also requires the secretary to report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than January 15 of each year, a summary of the forms received through the website for the previous calendar year. This bill also establishes the "Vote by Mail Study Commission," consisting of the following nine members: (1) the Secretary of State or a designee, who would serve as chairperson; (2) two county clerks, who would not be members of the same political party, appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Officers Association - Clerk Section; (3) one member representing the county boards of elections and one member representing the superintendents of elections, who would not be members of the same political party, appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Election Officials Association; (4) two members of the Senate to be appointed, one each, by the President of the Senate and the Senate Minority Leader; and (5) two members of the General Assembly to be appointed, one each, by the Speaker of the General Assembly and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. The bill directs the commission to investigate, research, and evaluate irregularities pertaining to the implementation, accuracy, and integrity of the vote-by-mail process and systems established in this State. The commission would hold at least three public hearings, one each in the Northern, Central, and Southern parts of the State, to receive testimony from the public and elections experts on matters concerning voting by mail. The commission's inquiries would include, but may not be limited to: (1) procedures to prevent the mailing of more than one mail-in ballot to the same person; (2) measures that may be implemented to prevent the mailing of mail-in ballots to inactive, deceased, and non-resident voters; (3) maintenance activities that may be implemented to enhance the accuracy of the voter rolls and the mail-in voter designation in the Statewide Voter Registration System; and (4) any other matter concerning voting by mail the commission deems appropriate. The bill directs the commission to report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than one year following its first meeting. The commission would expire upon the submission of its report.

Committee Categories

Kristin Corrado (R)*,  Vin Gopal (D)*,  Tony Bucco (R),  Jim Holzapfel (R),  Parker Space (R),  Mike Testa (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document