Bill Text: NJ S4306 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Changes certain deadlines for 2020 primary election by two weeks.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-12-16 - Reported from Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading [S4306 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S4306-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Changes certain deadlines for 2020 primary election by two weeks.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee on December 16, 2019, with amendments.
An Act concerning certain deadlines for the 2020 primary election.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding R.S.19:12-1 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the Secretary of State, not later than the 81st day preceding the 2020 primary election for the general election wherein electors of President and Vice-President of the United States, any representative of the United States Senate, any member of the House of Representatives, and any member of the Senate or General Assembly are to be elected, or any public question is to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, shall direct and cause to be delivered to the clerk of the county and the county board wherein any such election is to be held, a notice stating that such officers are to be elected and that such public question is to be submitted to the voters of the entire State at the 2020 general election.
b. Notwithstanding R.S.19:12-3 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the clerk of the county, not later than the 71st day preceding the 2020 primary election, shall cause a copy of the notice received from the Secretary of State of the officer or officers to be elected at the 2020 general election, certified under the county clerk's hand to be true and correct, to be delivered to the clerk of each municipality in the county.
c. Notwithstanding R.S.19:12-6 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the clerk of the municipality, not later than the 71st day preceding the 2020 primary election, shall make and certify under the clerk's hand and seal of office and forward to the clerk of the county in which the municipality is located a statement designating the public offices to be filled at such election, and the number of persons to be voted for each office. In a county of the first class, such statement shall also be forwarded to the county board.
d. Notwithstanding R.S.19:23-1 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the chairperson of each county committee, on or before March 12 of 2020, shall file with the clerk of the municipality the number of committee members to be elected to the county committee at the 2020 primary election
e. Notwithstanding R.S.19:23-12 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, a certificate of nomination to fill a vacancy of a primary election candidate shall be filed not later than the 69th day preceding the 2020 primary election.
f. Notwithstanding R.S.19:23-14 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, a petition addressed to the Secretary of State, the clerk of the county, or the clerk of the municipality shall be filed with such officers, respectively, before 4:00 p.m. of the 78th day preceding the 2020 primary election.
g. Notwithstanding R.S.19:23-14 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the clerk of the municipality, not later than the close of business of the 68th day preceding the 2020 primary election, shall certify to the clerk of the county the full and correct names and addresses of all candidates for nomination for public and party office and the name of the political party of which such persons are candidates together with their slogan and designation.
h. Notwithstanding R.S.19:23-21 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the Secretary of State, not later than the 68th day preceding the 2020 primary election, shall certify the names of the persons endorsed in the petitions filed in their office to the clerks of the counties concerned thereby, specifying in such certificate the political parties to which the persons so nominated in the petitions belong.
i. Notwithstanding R.S.19:23-22 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the clerk of the county, not later than the close of business of the 67th day preceding the 2020 primary election, shall certify all of the persons so certified to the clerk of the county by the Secretary of State and in addition the names of all persons endorsed in petitions filed in the clerk's office to the clerk of each municipality concerned thereby in the clerk's respective county and to the Election Law Enforcement Commission, specifying in such certificate the political party to which the person or persons so nominated belong.
j. Notwithstanding R.S.19:23-24 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the clerk of the county, or the clerk's deputy, or the clerk of the municipality or the municipal clerk's deputy, as the case may be, on the 67th day preceding the 2020 primary election, shall at their office at 3:00 P.M. conduct the drawing from the box to determine ballot positions.
k. Notwithstanding R.S.19:14-1 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the clerk of the county, on or before the 64th day preceding the 2020 primary election, shall have ready for the printer a copy of the contents of official ballots for the primary election as hereinafter required to be printed for use at such election. The clerk of the county shall also on or before that time place another copy of such contents on file in the clerk's office and keep the same open to public inspection until the sample ballots provided to be printed shall have been distributed.
l. Notwithstanding section 22 of P.L.2009, c.22 (C.19:63-22) or any other law or regulation to the contrary, each county board of elections may commence, within seven days before the 2020 primary election date, the process for opening and canvassing mail-in ballots as set forth in section 22 of P.L.2009, c.22 (C.19:63-22). The contents of the ballots shall remain confidential until the closing of the polls for the primary election and, thereafter, shall be disclosed only in accordance with any laws and regulations concerning the disclosure of results of elections.
m. 1[Notwithstanding any law or regulation to the contrary, each county board of elections shall commence, immediately after the canvass of the 2020 primary election mail-in ballots, the process of opening the provisional ballot bag and canvassing provisional ballots as set forth in section 19 of P.L.1999, c.232 (C.19:53C-13) and section 20 of P.L.1999, c.232 (C.19:53C-14), respectively.] Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S.19:24-1, or any law or regulation to the contrary, for the 2020 primary election, the chairman of the State committee of each political party shall notify the Secretary of State, on or before February 14, 2020, of the number of delegates-at-large and the number of alternates-at-large to be elected to the next national convention of such party by the voters of the party throughout the State, and also of the number of delegates and alternates to be chosen to such convention in the respective congressional districts or other territorial subdivisions of the State as mentioned in such notification. If the State chairmen, or either of them, shall fail to file notice, the Secretary of State shall ascertain such facts from the call for its national convention issued by the National or State committee.
n. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S.19:24-2, or any law or regulation to the contrary, for the 2020 primary election, the Secretary of State shall, on or before March 6, 2020, certify to the county clerk and county board of each county the number of delegates and alternates-at-large to be chosen by each such party and the number of delegates and alternates to be chosen in each congressional district or other territorial subdivision of the State, composed in whole or in part of the county of such county clerk. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, national and State party rules shall govern the selection of delegates and alternates to national party conventions, provided the State chairman of the political party notifies the Secretary of State prior to February 14, 2020, in which delegates and alternates are elected of the applicable party rules governing the delegate selection process. The Secretary of State shall notify the county clerks prior to March 18, 2020, in which delegates and alternates are elected of the applicable party rules, if any, which apply to matters within their jurisdiction.1
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire on the seventh day following the 2020 primary election.
