Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Election Management and Consolidation Commission in Department of State.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing an Election Management and Consolidation Commission in the Department of State.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established within the Department of State an Election Management and Consolidation Commission comprised of 64 members. The commission shall consist of the county clerk of each county in this State, who shall serve ex officio. The commission shall also consist of two members of each county board of elections, one from each represented political party selected by a majority of the members of the respective board of elections, who shall serve ex officio. The Secretary of State, or their designee, who shall serve ex officio, shall also serve as a member and the chair of the commission.
The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services but the commission may, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it, reimburse members for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.
The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistants and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary, in order to perform its duties, and as may be within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes. The Attorney General shall provide legal assistance to the commission.
The commission shall have its first meeting within 30 days of the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The commission shall review the processes and procedures required for the administration and management of elections in this State, as provided for by Title 19 of the Revised Statutes and implemented through rules and regulations, to identify potential redundancies and inefficiencies. The commission shall, at a minimum, identify areas of election administration and management which may benefit from centralization in the Division of Elections in the Department of State, or which may be consolidated, eliminated, or modified.
The commission shall make recommendations for the appropriate legislation, executive action, and rulemaking necessary to improve the administration and management of elections in this State.
c. Within one year following the date of its first meeting, the commission shall submit in writing to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report specifying the recommendations made by the commission under subsection b. of this section.
The report shall specify those recommendations that may be implemented through executive action, through the promulgation of rules and regulations by the Secretary of State in accordance with existing relevant statutory authority, and through comprehensive legislation.
d. The commission shall expire upon provision of the report required pursuant to subsection c. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill creates an Election Management and Consolidation Commission in the Department of State to study and make recommendations to improve the administration and management of elections in this State, with a particular focus on reducing redundancies and inefficiencies.
The commission will consist of all 21 county clerks, two members of each county board of elections, one of each represented political party, and the Secretary of State, or their designee. The members will not be paid but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses within the limitations of funds available to the commission.
The commission will have one year from the date of its first meeting to prepare recommendations, including aspects of elections that may benefit from centralization in the Division of Elections in the Department of State, for the Governor and the Legislature to consider. The commission will expire upon the provision of this report.