ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, Nos. 673 and 608

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

ADOPTED DECEMBER 16, 1996

Sponsored by Assemblymen BAGGER and LUSTBADER

An Act concerning petitions used in certain elections, amending R.S.19:13-9, R.S.19:23-14, and R.S.19:24-4, and supplementing chapter 5 of Title 1 of the Revised Statutes.

      Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

      1. R.S.19:13-9 is amended to read as follows:

      19:13-9. All such petitions and acceptances thereof shall be filed with the officer or officers to whom they are addressed before 4:00 p.m. of the [54th] 57th day next preceding the day of the holding of the primary election for the general election in this Title provided. All petitions when filed shall be open under proper regulations for public inspection.

      Notwithstanding the above provision, all petitions and acceptances thereof nominating electors of candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, which candidates have not been nominated at a convention of a political party as defined by this Title, shall be filed with the Secretary of State before 4:00 p.m. of the 99th day preceding the general election in this Title provided. All petitions when filed shall be opened under proper regulations for public inspection.

      The officer or officers shall transmit to the Election Law Enforcement Commission the names of all candidates, other than candidates for federal office, nominated by petition and any other information required by the commission in the form and manner prescribed by the commission and shall notify the commission immediately upon the withdrawal of a petition of nomination.

(cf: P.L.1989, c.70, s.1)

      2. R.S.19:23-14 is amended to read as follows:

      19:23-14. Petitions addressed to the Secretary of State, the county clerks, or the municipal clerks shall be filed with such officers, respectively, before 4:00 p.m. of the [54th] 57th day next preceding the day of the holding of the primary election for the general election.

      Not later than the close of business of the 48th day preceding the primary election for the general election, the municipal clerk shall certify to the county clerk 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. The county clerk shall transmit this information to the Election Law Enforcement Commission in the form and manner prescribed by the commission and shall notify the commission immediately upon the withdrawal of a petition of nomination.

(cf: P.L.1985, c.92, s.18)

      3. R.S.19:24-4 is amended to read as follows:

      19:24-4. Not less than 100 members of each such political party may file with the Secretary of State at least [54] 57 days prior to the primary election for the general election in any year of a national convention a petition requesting that the name of a person therein indorsed shall be printed on the primary ticket of such political party as candidate for the position of delegate-at-large or alternate-at-large, to be chosen by the party voters throughout the State to the national convention of that party, or as a delegate or alternate to be chosen to that convention by the voters of any congressional district.

      The signers to the petition for any delegate-at-large or alternate-at-large shall be legal voters resident in the State; and the signers for any delegate or alternate from any Congressional district shall be voters of such district.

      The Secretary of State shall not later than the 48th day preceding the primary election for the general election certify to each county clerk and county board such nominations for delegates and alternates-at-large and the nominations for delegate or alternate for any Congressional district.

(cf: P.L.1985, c.92, s.22)

      4. (New section) a. Whenever a petition is circulated within a county, municipality, school district, or special district for the purpose of gathering the signatures of registered voters in order to place a referendum question on the ballot in any election, each page of the petition shall be arranged to contain, in addition to such other content relative thereto required by law, double spacing between the signature lines of the petition so that each signer thereof is afforded sufficient space to provide his or her printed name, address and signature.

      b. Upon the enactment of this act, the Secretary of State shall notify in writing each county and municipal clerk and the secretary of the board of education of each school district in the State of the provisions of subsection a. of this section and thereafter shall repeat such notification as periodically as the Secretary deems necessary.

      5. This act shall take effect immediately, but subsection a. of section 4 shall be inoperative until January 1 following enactment.

Changes deadline for filing nominating petitions for party offices and public offices filled at general election from 54th to 57th day preceding primary election; requires double spacing on referenda petitions.