This bill amends New Jersey election law to improve the clarity of voting instructions on ballots by requiring that directions indicating how many candidates a voter may select—such as "Vote for one" or "Vote for two"—be printed in a conspicuous ink color other than black. The amendments apply to several sections of the law, including R.S.19:14-16, R.S.19:23-25, R.S.19:49-2, R.S.19:49-4, and Section 11 of P.L.2009, c.79. Additionally, sample ballots at polling places must also feature these instructions in a non-black color, ensuring consistency across all voting materials. This change aims to enhance voter understanding and accessibility, particularly benefiting districts with significant Spanish-speaking populations, where bilingual sample ballots are also mandated.

The bill further outlines procedures for county clerks regarding voter eligibility and ballot processing. It specifies that if a voter is qualified to vote only in a specific party's primary, this must be indicated on their ballot. Moreover, it permits counties to adopt approved electronic systems for counting mail-in ballots, allowing for the use of nonconforming mail-in ballots as needed for these systems. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its enactment, aiming to facilitate a smoother voting process and reduce the risk of unintentional disenfranchisement.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 19:63-11