Bill Text: NJ A948 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Presumes motor vehicle registrant wants to register to vote at time of registration, unless person specifically declines.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State Government Committee [A948 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A948-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Presumes motor vehicle registrant wants to register to vote at time of registration, unless person specifically declines.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning registering to vote through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and amending P.L.1994, c.182.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 23 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:3-10m) is amended to read as follows:
23. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, each applicant for a State motor vehicle driver's license application, including any application for a renewal thereof, submitted to an agent of the [Division of] Motor [Vehicles] Vehicle Commission in the Department of [Law and Public Safety] Transportation shall be [offered an opportunity] provided materials and assistance to register to vote.
(cf: P.L.1994, c.182, s.23)
2. Section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2) is amended to read as follows:
24. a. The Secretary of State, with the assistance and concurrence of the [Director] Chief Administrator of the [Division of] New Jersey Motor [Vehicles] Vehicle Commission, shall formulate a means of [permitting] enabling a person to simultaneously apply for a motor vehicle driver's license and to register to vote which satisfies both the requirements necessary to receive a license to operate a motor vehicle, pursuant to R.S.39:3-10, and to [be permitted to] register to vote, pursuant to R.S.19:4-1. A person applying for a motor vehicle driver's license, or for a renewal thereof, shall be presumed to want to register to vote at the same time and shall be provided materials and assistance to do so, unless the person specifically declines to so register for any reason.
The [Division of] Motor [Vehicles] Vehicle Commission, upon receipt of a completed voter registration application under this section, shall stamp or otherwise mark the lower right hand corner of the document with the date on which it was so received and forward the document to the Secretary of State no later than the 10th day following the date of acceptance.
b. Each application for voter registration which is received by the [Division of] Motor [Vehicles] Vehicle Commission shall be considered and processed as the replacement for any pre-existing voter registration of the applicant.
c. Each change of address notification submitted to the [Director] Chief Administrator of the [Division of] Motor [Vehicles] Vehicle Commission for the purpose of maintaining current information on a person's motor vehicle license shall be reported to the Secretary of State no later than the 10th day following its receipt by the [Division of] Motor [Vehicles] Vehicle Commission and shall serve as notification for the change of address process, unless the registrant indicates that the change of address is not for voter registration purposes.
(cf: P.L.1994, c.182, s.24)
3. This act shall take effect on the 90th day following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
The purpose of this bill is to require that when a person applies to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for a motor vehicle driver's license, or for a renewal thereof, the person will be presumed to want to register to vote at the same time and be provided materials and assistance to do so, unless the person specifically declines to so register for any reason.
The bill also updates references in the statutes concerning registering to vote through the Motor Vehicle Commission to reflect the change of the name of that agency from the Division of Motor Vehicles.
