New Jersey-2018-A225-Introduced

An Act concerning voter registration, amending P.L.1994, c.182, and supplementing chapter 3 of Title 23 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 26 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.19:31-6.11) is amended to read as follows:

26. a. As used in this section, "voter registration agency" means:

Any agency or office serving as a food stamp issuer, pursuant to P.L.1988, c.79 (C.44:8-153 et seq.) and the "Food Stamp Act of 1977," Pub.L.95-113 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.);

Any agency or office providing or administering assistance under the "New Jersey Medical Assistance and Health Services Program," pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.) and 42 U.S.C. s.1395 et seq.;

Any agency or office distributing food pursuant to the special supplemental food program for women, infants and children (WIC), established pursuant to P.L.1987, c.261 (C.26:1A-36.1 et seq.) and Pub.L.95-267 (42 U.S.C. s.1786);

Any agency or office administering assistance under the Work First New Jersey program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.);

Any public office of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1985, c.145 (C.30:6D-24), in the Department of Human Services;

Any public office of the Office of Disability Services, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1999, c.91 (C.30:6E-3), in the Department of Human Services;

Any recruitment office of the Armed Forces of the United States, subject to any agreement between this State and the Secretary of Defense of the United States for the joint development and implementation, as provided under subsection (c) of section 7 of Pub.L.103-31 (42 U.S.C. s. 1973gg-6), of procedures for applying at those offices to register to vote;

Any office of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services of the New Jersey Department of Labor;

Any office of the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired of the New Jersey Department of Human Services;

Any county welfare agency or county board of social services established pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1 or chapter 4 of Title 44 of the Revised Statutes;

Any agency or office providing hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses under the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection, established pursuant to P.L.1999, c.282 (C.23:2B-15.1);

The office of the commissioner of registration in the several counties of this State; and

Any office of the municipal clerk in the several municipalities of this State.

b. With each voter registration form and instructions provided to the chief administrative officer at each voter registration agency under subsections e. and f. of section 16 of P.L.1974, c.30 (C.19:31-6.4), the Secretary of State shall provide at the same time a declination form that includes:

(1) the question: "If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you like to apply to register to vote here today?";

(2) the statement: "Applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect the amount of assistance that you will be provided by this agency.";

(3) boxes for the applicant to check to indicate whether the applicant would or would not like to register to vote, together with the statement "IF YOU DO NOT CHECK EITHER BOX, YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO REGISTER TO VOTE AT THIS TIME.";

(4) the statement: "If you would like help in filling out the voter registration application form, we will help you. The decision to seek or accept help is yours. You may fill out the application form in private.";

(5) the statement: "If you believe that someone has interfered with your right to register or to decline to register to vote, your right to privacy in deciding whether to register or in applying to register to vote, or your right to choose your own political party or other political preference, you may file a complaint with the Secretary of State." (insert address and current telephone number); and

(6) the statement: IF YOU DECLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE AT THIS TIME, YOUR DECISION WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL BE USED ONLY FOR VOTER REGISTRATION PURPOSES. IF YOU DO REGISTER TO VOTE, THE WAY IN WHICH YOU DO SO WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL BE USED ONLY FOR VOTER REGISTRATION PURPOSES.

c. The Secretary of State shall cause to be prepared declination forms in the form provided for by subsection b. of this section in both the English and Spanish languages and shall provide such forms to the chief administrative officer of each voter registration agency which has an office in any county in which there is at least one election district in which bilingual sample ballots must be provided pursuant to R.S.19:14-21, R.S.19:49-4 or section 2 of P.L.1965, c.29 (C.19:23-22.4).

d. The Secretary of State shall adopt, pursuant to consultation with the chief administrative officers at voter registration agencies, regulations for the prompt return of the completed voter registration forms, but in no case shall the forms be returned later than the fifth day following the date on which the completed forms are received by the voter registration agencies.

e. All registration forms received by the Secretary of State in the mail or forwarded to the Secretary of State by employees or agents of the voter registration agencies shall be forwarded to the commissioner of registration in the county of the registrant.

f. Each completed declination form received by a voter registration agency shall be kept confidential for a period of at least two years. The Secretary of State shall determine, pursuant to consultation with the chief administrative officers at voter registration agencies, which office or agency shall retain the declination forms.

(cf: P.L.1999, c.91, s.10)

2. (New section) The director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife shall:

a. cause copies of the voter registration forms and instructions provided for under subsections e. and f. of section 16 of P.L.1974, c.30 (C.19:31‑6.4) and the declination form provided for in subsection b. of section 26 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.19:31‑6.11) to be distributed at each agency or office to each person appearing in person thereat to apply for a hunting, fishing, or trapping license. An employee of the agency or office shall inquire of every such person whether the person, if not already registered to vote from the place of his or her present residence, wishes to be so registered and shall inform the person that whether or not the applicant chooses to register will not affect the person's eligibility for a license. The employee shall subsequently review the forms to determine whether or not the person wishes to register to vote. If the person does not wish to register, the employee shall provide the person with any assistance necessary to complete the declination form and then inform the person that the form shall be forwarded by the employee to the Attorney General. If the person wishes to register, the employee shall provide the person with any assistance necessary in completing the voter registration form; shall inform the applicant that the applicant may leave the completed form with the employee or mail it personally to the Attorney General; and if the applicant chooses to leave the form, shall accept the completed form, stamp or otherwise mark the lower right hand corner of the document with the date on which it was so received, and forward it to the Attorney General. The employee shall provide to each applicant who does not decline to register to vote the same degree of assistance with regard to the completion of the voter registration form as is provided by the office with regard to the completion of applications for licenses, unless the applicant refuses such assistance;

b. provide for the continuous supply of the forms and instructions specified in subsection a. of this section to every agency or office providing hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

c. provide the forms and instructions specified in subsection a. of this section in both the English and Spanish languages to the offices which are located in any county in which bilingual sample ballots must be provided pursuant to R.S.19:14‑21, R.S.19:49‑4 or section 2 of P.L.1965, c.29 (C.19:23‑22.4);

d. provide for the collection of completed voter registration forms by any employee of the office for the transmittal of the forms to the Attorney General;

e. inform each employee of the agency or office who assists in registering a person to vote that that employee shall not:

(1) seek to influence an applicant's political preference or party registration;

(2) display any such political preference or party allegiance;

(3) make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to discourage the applicant from registering to vote; or

(4) make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to lead the applicant to believe that a decision to register or not to register has any bearing on the availability of hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses; and

f. make certain that no information relating to a declination to register to vote by an individual in connection with any type of application for a license made by that individual at any office is used for any purpose other than voter registration.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires that voter registration forms are to be made available at any agency or office providing hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses under the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection.