SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 1457

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: MARCH 3, 1997

 

      The Senate State Government Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1457.

      This bill revises the law (P.L.1992, c.3) providing for the use of paper emergency ballots in an election when a voting machine has become inoperative.

      Specifically, the bill addresses the canvassing of emergency ballots. Under present law, the canvass of emergency ballots is performed by the district board of elections in conjunction with the board's canvass of ballots cast by machine. Under the bill, the emergency paper ballots, like the paper ballots cast by absentee voters, would be canvassed by the county boards of elections.