Bill
Bill > A3173
NJ A3173
NJ A3173Prohibits mail-in ballot outer envelope from containing political affiliation or designation visible to public.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill prohibits any mail-in ballot outer envelope from containing a political affiliation or designation visible to the public. Under current law, the county clerk in each county mails a mail-in ballot to each voter who votes by mail. The mail-in ballot envelope contains the blank ballot, an outer envelope, and an inner envelope. When the voter completes the ballot, the voter places the voted ballot inside the inner envelope, and places the inner envelope inside the outer envelope, which is addressed to the appropriate county board of elections for mailing. This bill requires each county clerk to ensure that the outer envelope and the envelope that is used to mail the blank ballot, outer envelope, and inner envelope to each voter do not contain any political affiliation or designation visible to the public on the envelope's exterior. This bill also requires each county clerk to ensure that any political affiliation or designation on the inner envelope is not visible to the public on the outer envelope's exterior.
AI Summary
This bill mandates that county clerks ensure that the outer envelope of mail-in ballots, as well as the envelope used to mail the ballot package to voters, do not display any political affiliation or designation that is visible to the public. Additionally, it requires that any political affiliation or designation present on the inner envelope, which contains the voted ballot, must not be visible from the exterior of the outer envelope. This change aims to enhance the privacy and neutrality of the mail-in voting process by preventing the public from seeing a voter's political leanings on the exterior of their ballot packaging.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (5)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A3173 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A3500/3173_I1.HTM |
Loading...