Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex and Union)
Assemblywoman JESSICA RAMIREZ
District 32 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Permits 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in elections for local school board.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act permitting 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in local school board elections and supplementing P.L.1995, c.278.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any person who is at least 16 years of age, who is a citizen of the United States, and who has resided in a school district for 30 days preceding the school election, shall be eligible to vote for members of the school board of education in the school district in which they reside.
b. The Secretary of State, by rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall:
(1) create a registration form and a process to register 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections, which shall conform as nearly as possible to the equivalent form and process utilized for all other eligible voters under chapter 31 of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes;
(2) establish a method to verify the identity of registered 16 and 17-year-old voters, which shall conform as nearly as possible to the methods utilized for all other eligible voters under the provisions of this Title;
(3) provide for the design of paper ballots on which 16 and 17-year-olds may vote for school board members; and
(4) ensure the provisions of this section are implemented effectively, and in a manner compatible with the administration of all other elections conducted in this State.
c. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any action on the part of any school board or municipality in order to implement the provisions of this section.
d. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit any person under 18 years of age to vote in any election other than that for school board members in the school district in which they reside.
2. This act shall take effect January 1 next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
Under current law, any person who is at least 18 years of age, who is a citizen of the United States, and who is a resident of the district in which they wish to vote, is entitled to register and vote in elections in this State.
This bill permits 16 and 17-year-olds, who are U.S. citizens and residents of New Jersey, to vote only in their local school elections for school board members. The bill does not allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in any other election.
The bill directs the Secretary of State to promulgate rules that:
(1) create a registration form and a process to register 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections, which conforms as nearly as possible to the equivalent form and process utilized for all other eligible voters;
(2) establish a method of verifying the identity of registered 16 and 17-year-old voters which conforms as nearly as possible to the methods utilized for all other eligible voters;
(3) provide for the design of paper ballots on which 16 and 17-year-olds may vote for school board members; and
(4) ensure the provisions of this act are implemented effectively and in a manner compatible with all other elections held in this State.
This bill does not require action on the part of any school board or municipality in order to implement its provisions.