Bill Text: NJ S2789 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in elections for local school board.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2024-02-27 - Withdrawn from Consideration [S2789 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2789-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator BRIAN P. STACK
District 33 (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 which has adopted the provisions of this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), 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 question of allowing 16 and 17-year-olds residing within a school to district to vote for members of the school board of the school district shall be submitted to the legal voters of a school district whenever a petition signed by not less than 15% of the number of legally qualified voters who voted in the district at the last preceding general election held for the election of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States is filed with the board of education. The question shall be submitted to the voters of the district at the next general election, provided that at least 60 days have lapsed since the date of the filing of the petition. In the event that the question is not approved by the voters, no petition may be filed to submit the question to the voters within one year after an election shall have been held pursuant to any petition filed pursuant to this subsection.
c. Sixteen and 17-year-olds residing within a school district may be permitted to vote for members of the school board of the school district, without voter approval, upon the adoption of a resolution by the board of education of the school district, or the governing body or bodies of the municipality or municipalities constituting the district. Prior to holding a meeting for the adoption of the resolution to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections, the governing body or bodies of the municipality or municipalities constituting the district shall provide adequate notice of the meeting to the affected board or boards of education.
d. The Division of Elections in the Department of State shall promulgate, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations and establish processes that are reasonable, necessary, and consistent with the provisions of this section. At a minimum, these rules and regulations shall include:
(1) a process to register 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections;
(2) a list of acceptable forms of identification for 16 and 17-year-olds, including, but not limited to, a State ID card, work permit, State-issued special learner's permit, and school transcripts clearly indicating the individual's name, date of birth, and residential address; and
(3) guidelines for the design of paper ballots on which 16 and 17-year-olds may vote for school board members.
e. 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, if they reside in a school district that has adopted the provisions of this bill. The bill does not allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in any other election.
This bill allows for voters in a school district to put the question of whether to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections on the next general election ballot as a public question, if they can collect supporting signatures of 15% of the voters who voted in the district at the preceding presidential election.
The bill also will allow for 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections upon the adoption of a resolution by the board of education of the school district, or the governing body or bodies of the municipality or municipalities constituting the district.
The bill directs the Division of Elections in the Department of State to establish rules that:
(1) create a process to register 16 and 17-year-olds to vote;
(2) establish a list of acceptable forms of identification for 16 and 17-year-olds, including their State ID, learner's permit, work permit, and school transcript; and
(3) provide guidelines for a form of paper ballot for 16 and 17-year-olds to vote on.
