Bill Text: NJ A5165 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs Secretary of State to establish grant program for counties to improve paper ballot counting process; appropriates $10 million.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-12-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A5165 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A5165-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Directs Secretary of State to establish grant program for counties to improve paper ballot counting process; appropriates $10 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a grant program for improving the State's vote-by-mail process and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Secretary of State shall establish a temporary program to provide grants to county boards of elections. The purpose of the grant program shall be for improving that county board's paper ballot counting capabilities, including the counting of vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.
b. In establishing the grant program pursuant to this section, the Secretary of State shall:
(1) survey each county board of elections to collect information regarding procedural and technological problems incurred during the 2020 General Election hindering the paper ballot counting process;
(2) analyze the results of the survey and develop a plan to address the shortcomings that identifies concrete categories of improvement areas that can be undertaken to improve the vote-by-mail process;
(3) develop guidelines and procedures for the submission of grant applications, and criteria for the evaluation of such applications;
(4) establish terms and conditions for the awarding of a grant under this section, and monitor grant recipients' compliance with the terms and conditions; and
(5) require the recipient of a grant to report to the secretary information relating to its use of grant funds.
c. No later than three years after the effective date of this act, the Secretary of State shall submit a written report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature, on the effectiveness of the grant program in improving paper ballot counting capabilities in the State.
2. There is appropriated from the State General Fund to the Department of State the sum of $10,000,000 to effectuate the provisions of this act, P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire upon the submittal by the secretary of the report required pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Secretary of State to establish a temporary grant program for improving the vote-by-mail process in the State. The purpose of the grant program would be for improving a county board's paper ballot counting capabilities, including the counting of vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.
Under the bill, in establishing the grant program, the Secretary of State is required to:
(1) survey each county board of elections to collect information regarding procedural and technological problems incurred during the 2020 General Election hindering the paper ballot counting process;
(2) analyze the results of the survey and develop a plan to address the shortcomings that identifies concrete categories of improvement areas that can be undertaken to improve the vote-by-mail process;
(3) develop guidelines and procedures for the submission of grant applications, and criteria for the evaluation of such applications;
(4) establish terms and conditions for the awarding of a grant under this section, and monitor grant recipients' compliance with the terms and conditions; and
(5) require the recipient of a grant to report to the secretary information relating to its use of grant funds.
The bill also requires the Secretary of State to submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature on the effectiveness of the grant program in improving paper ballot counting capabilities in the State.
Under the bill, $10,000,000 is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of State to effectuate the provisions of the bill.
