This bill amends New Jersey's election laws to ensure that all registered voters will automatically receive mail-in ballots for future elections unless they choose to opt out in writing or do not vote by mail for four consecutive years. The legislation eliminates the option for voters to declare their desire to receive mail-in ballots on their registration applications, instead incorporating a statement that all registered voters will receive them automatically. Additionally, the bill allows voters to vote in person at polling places on election day or during early voting, provided they surrender their mail-in ballot.

The bill also enhances the mail-in voting process by increasing the timeframe for county boards of elections to begin opening and canvassing mail-in ballots from five days to ten days before elections. It mandates that all mail-in ballot return envelopes have prepaid First-Class postage to ensure proper delivery and requires the Secretary of State to establish standards for accepting mail-in ballots at polling places. Furthermore, the legislation includes provisions for voter education campaigns to inform voters about the automatic receipt of mail-in ballots and the potential for removal from permanent vote-by-mail status, ultimately aiming to streamline the voting process and improve voter participation in New Jersey.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 19:15A-1, 19:31-6.4, 19:63-3, 19:63-3.1, 19:63-6, 19:63-6.1, 19:63-15, 19:63-22, 19:63-29