SENATE, No. 1177

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MAY 30, 1996

 

 

By Senator BASSANO

 

 

An Act concerning the compensation of certain election officers and amending R.S.19:45-6.

 

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

 

    1. R.S.19:45-6 is amended to read as follows:

    19:45-6. The compensation of each member of the district boards for all services performed by them under the provisions of this Title shall be as follows:

    In all counties, for all services rendered including the counting of the votes, and in counties wherein voting machines are used, the tabulation of the votes registered on the voting machines, and the delivery of the returns, registry binders, ballot boxes and keys for the voting machines to the proper election officials, $75.00 each time the primary election, the general election or any special election is held under this Title, except that the governing body of a county may, by ordinance or resolution as appropriate, provide that such amount shall be $100 for the members of each district board within the county performing those services at such an election; provided, however, that:

    a. (1) The member of the board charged with the duty of obtaining and signing for the signature copy registers shall receive an additional $12.50 per election, such remuneration being limited to only one board member per election, or $6.25 to each of two board members if they share such responsibility for the signature copy registers, and (2) the member of the board charged with the duty of returning the signature copy registers shall receive an additional $12.50 per election, such remuneration being limited to only one board member per election, or $6.25 to each of two board members if they share such responsibility for the signature copy registers;

    b. In the case of any member of the board who is required under R.S.19:50-1 to attend in a given year a training program for district board members, but who fails to attend such a training program in that year, that compensation shall be $50.00 for each of those elections;

    c. In counties wherein voting machines are used no compensation shall be paid for any services rendered at any special election held at the same time as any primary or general election. Such compensation shall be in lieu of all other fees and payments; and

    d. Compensation for district board members serving at a school election shall be paid by the board of education of the school district conducting the election at an hourly rate [of $5.77] equal to 1/13 of the daily compensation payable to members of district boards of elections within the county, exclusive of any adjustments to that compensation which may be made pursuant to subsection a., b. or c. of this section.

    Compensation due each member shall be paid within 30 days but not within 20 days after each election; provided, however, that no compensation shall be paid to any member of any such district board who may have been removed from office or application for the removal of whom is pending under the provisions of R.S.19:6-4.

(cf: P.L.1995, c.278, s.21)

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    Under the provisions of P.L.1995, c.193, approved on August 2, 1995, the governing body of any county is permitted, by ordinance or resolution, to increase the basic compensation received by members of district boards of elections each time the primary election, the general election or any special election is held from $75 to $100.

    Pursuant to P.L.1995, c.278, approved on December 22, 1995, the compensation for district board members serving at a school election was set at an hourly rate of $5.77. This amount was derived from the formula that previously dictated school election workers compensation: 1/13 of the daily compensation paid to district board members who served at a primary, general or special election.

    As a result of these enactments, the compensation of district board members in counties that have increased compensation for serving at a primary, general or special election would be $100, but for those same members the compensation for serving at a school election would be based on $75 per day.

    The bill addresses the discrepancy by returning to the formula used previously and provides that the compensation for district board members serving at a school election shall be paid by the board of education of the school district conducting the election at an hourly rate equal to 1/13 of the daily compensation payable to members of district boards of elections within the county. Use of this formula will insure that district board members who serve at a school election will be compensated at a rate that is proportional to the rate that those members receive for serving at a primary, general or special election.

 

 

                              

 

Increases compensation, under certain circumstances, for election district board members who serve at a school election.