Signed by Governor Phil Murphy

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires at least 10 drop boxes in each county, with some specific locations outlined and allow for an extra month to use the designated drop boxes for ballot deposit.

Highlights:

• Authorizes mail-in voters to deposit a completed ballot in a ballot drop box established by the county board of elections (Sec 1).

• Specifies that all mail-in ballots placed in a ballot drop box by the closing of polls will be considered valid and canvassed (Sec 1).

• Requires the county board of elections to deliver a ballot dropped in a box outside of a voter’s county residence to the correct county to be processed (Sec 1).

• Requires ballot drop boxes to be established at least 45 days prior to the election and available to voters 24 hours a day (Sec 1).

• Specifies that the box does not have to be within view of a live person for observation, but it does need to be constantly monitored by security cameras (Sec 1).

• Requires at least one dropbox to be located at (Sec 1):

• Any county government building in which the main county clerk’s office is not located;

• Any municipal government building in which the municipal clerk’s main office is located with populations larger than 5,000 residents;

• The main campus of each county community college; and

• The main campus of each independent 4-year college or university with enrollments larger than 5,000 students.

• Requires counties with fewer than 10 ballot drop boxes established at the aforementioned locations to place additional ballot boxes at county or municipal government buildings, so that the county has no fewer than 10 boxes (Sec 1).

• Authorizes the secretary of state to establish guidelines for the placement, security, and pickup schedule of ballot drop boxes (Sec 1).

• Requires the secretary of state and county boards of elections to establish rules and regulations while considering concentrations of population, geographic areas, voter convenience, proximity to public transportation, community-based locations, and security (Sec 1).

• Requires all locations to meet the accessibility requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Sec 1).

• Specifies that the provisions of section 1 are effective on February 1, 2021 (Sec. 6).

• Requires mail-in ballots to be sent to all active registered voters with prepaid First-Class postage (Sec 2).

• Specifies that instead of a sample ballot, all active registered voters be sent a notice with relevant election information on or before October 23, 2020 (Sec 2).

• Specifies that sample ballots will be available at the polling places on the day of the election (Sec 2).

• Requires all primary and secondary schools to close in-person instruction on November 3, 2020, so that schools may be used as polling places (Sec 2).

• Requires each county to open a minimum of one polling place in each municipality and at least 50 percent of its regularly used polling places, utilizing school buildings if necessary (Sec 2).

• Requires for November 3, 2020, General Election that polling places (Sec 2):

• Limit the occupancy of polling to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet;

• Ensure proper physical distancing through the demarcation of 6 feet spacing in voter lines and poll worker stations;

• Require infection control practices such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, handwashing breaks for poll workers, and frequent sanitization of high-touch areas;

• Place conspicuous signage at entrances and throughout building with reminders to maintain proper physical distance;

• Require poll workers to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding face coverings, unless doing so would inhibit an individual’s health, and gloves when in contact with voters;

• Require appointed challengers to adhere to CDC masking guidelines as of the date of the election, and authorizes the county board of elections to decline entry to the individual if they do not do so; and

• Strongly encourage voters and accompanying persons to adhere to any CDC face covering guidelines, but does not authorize the county board of elections to deny entry to the individual if they are not masked.

• Specifies that any voter who comes to a polling place on election day and does not return a voted mail-in ballot should vote via a provisional ballot (Sec 2).

• Requires each polling place to receive completed absentee ballots from voters casting their personal mail-in ballots to their designated polling place (Sec 2).

• Requires mail-in ballots to be sent to all active voters on or before the 29th day before the November 3, 2020, General Election (Sec 2).

• Requires a ballot to be transmitted within 3 business days of receipt to ensure the timely counting of all ballots (Sec 2).

• Requires every ballot postmarked on or before November 3, 2020, and received by November 10, 2020, at 8:00 pm be considered valid and canvassed (Sec 2).

• Specifies that ballots without a postmark or mismarked ballots received by the post office on or before November 3, 2020, and delivered to the county boards of elections within 48 hours of the closing of the polls on elections day will be counted (Sec 2).

• Authorizes the county board of elections to begin opening the inner envelopes and canvassing mail-in ballots no earlier than 10 days prior to election day and from 9:00 am until 11:00 pm each day following the election (Sec 2).

• Authorizes voters whose ballots are rejected due to signature defects the opportunity to correct errors in accordance with procedures established by the secretary of state (Sec 2).

• Requires the secretary of state to facilitate the public’s understanding of the modified election rules and regulations and set up a hotline for reports of violations of election laws (Sec 2).

• Specifies that the provisions of sections 2 through 5 are effective immediately (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires at least 10 drop boxes in each county, with some specific locations outlined and allow for an extra month to use the designated drop boxes for ballot deposit.

Highlights:

• Authorizes mail-in voters to deposit a completed ballot in a ballot drop box established by the county board of elections (Sec 1).

• Specifies that all mail-in ballots placed in a ballot drop box by the closing of polls will be considered valid and canvassed (Sec 1).

• Requires the county board of elections to deliver a ballot dropped in a box outside of a voter’s county residence to the correct county to be processed (Sec 1).

• Requires ballot drop boxes to be established at least 45 days prior to the election and available to voters 24 hours a day (Sec 1).

• Specifies that the box does not have to be within view of a live person for observation, but it does need to be constantly monitored by security cameras (Sec 1).

• Requires at least one dropbox to be located at (Sec 1):

• Any county government building in which the main county clerk’s office is not located;

• Any municipal government building in which the municipal clerk’s main office is located with populations larger than 5,000 residents;

• The main campus of each county community college; and

• The main campus of each independent 4-year college or university with enrollments larger than 5,000 students.

• Requires counties with fewer than 10 ballot drop boxes established at the aforementioned locations to place additional ballot boxes at county or municipal government buildings, so that the county has no fewer than 10 boxes (Sec 1).

• Authorizes the secretary of state to establish guidelines for the placement, security, and pickup schedule of ballot drop boxes (Sec 1).

• Requires the secretary of state and county boards of elections to establish rules and regulations while considering concentrations of population, geographic areas, voter convenience, proximity to public transportation, community-based locations, and security (Sec 1).

• Requires all locations to meet the accessibility requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Sec 1).

• Specifies that the provisions of section 1 are effective on February 1, 2021 (Sec. 6).

• Requires mail-in ballots to be sent to all active registered voters with prepaid First-Class postage (Sec 2).

• Specifies that instead of a sample ballot, all active registered voters be sent a notice with relevant election information on or before October 23, 2020 (Sec 2).

• Specifies that sample ballots will be available at the polling places on the day of the election (Sec 2).

• Requires all primary and secondary schools to close in-person instruction on November 3, 2020, so that schools may be used as polling places (Sec 2).

• Requires each county to open a minimum of one polling place in each municipality and at least 50 percent of its regularly used polling places, utilizing school buildings if necessary (Sec 2).

• Requires for November 3, 2020, General Election that polling places (Sec 2):

• Limit the occupancy of polling to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet;

• Ensure proper physical distancing through the demarcation of 6 feet spacing in voter lines and poll worker stations;

• Require infection control practices such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, handwashing breaks for poll workers, and frequent sanitization of high-touch areas;

• Place conspicuous signage at entrances and throughout building with reminders to maintain proper physical distance;

• Require poll workers to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding face coverings, unless doing so would inhibit an individual’s health, and gloves when in contact with voters;

• Require appointed challengers to adhere to CDC masking guidelines as of the date of the election, and authorizes the county board of elections to decline entry to the individual if they do not do so; and

• Strongly encourage voters and accompanying persons to adhere to any CDC face covering guidelines, but does not authorize the county board of elections to deny entry to the individual if they are not masked.

• Specifies that any voter who comes to a polling place on election day and does not return a voted mail-in ballot should vote via a provisional ballot (Sec 2).

• Requires each polling place to receive completed absentee ballots from voters casting their personal mail-in ballots to their designated polling place (Sec 2).

• Requires mail-in ballots to be sent to all active voters on or before the 29th day before the November 3, 2020, General Election (Sec 2).

• Requires a ballot to be transmitted within 3 business days of receipt to ensure the timely counting of all ballots (Sec 2).

• Requires every ballot postmarked on or before November 3, 2020, and received by November 10, 2020, at 8:00 pm be considered valid and canvassed (Sec 2).

• Specifies that ballots without a postmark or mismarked ballots received by the post office on or before November 3, 2020, and delivered to the county boards of elections within 48 hours of the closing of the polls on elections day will be counted (Sec 2).

• Authorizes the county board of elections to begin opening the inner envelopes and canvassing mail-in ballots no earlier than 10 days prior to election day and from 9:00 am until 11:00 pm each day following the election (Sec 2).

• Authorizes voters whose ballots are rejected due to signature defects the opportunity to correct errors in accordance with procedures established by the secretary of state (Sec 2).

• Requires the secretary of state to facilitate the public’s understanding of the modified election rules and regulations and set up a hotline for reports of violations of election laws (Sec 2).

• Specifies that the provisions of sections 2 through 5 are effective immediately (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by Governor Phil Murphy