New Jersey § 19:15a-1

§ 19:15a-1.

a. In addition to all other forms of voting provided for by this Title, a registered

voter shall be permitted to vote at a specially designated polling place before the

day of certain primary and general elections in this State. This procedure shall be known as early voting. The early voting period shall: (1) start on the 4th calendar day before a non-presidential primary election for a

non-presidential general election and end on the second calendar day before that non-presidential

primary election; (2) start on the 6th calendar day before a presidential primary election for a presidential

general election and end on the second calendar day before that presidential primary

election; or (3) start on the 10th calendar day before a general election and end on the second

calendar day before that general election. The voting process during the early voting period shall be conducted using electronic

poll books and optical-scan voting machines that read hand-marked paper ballots or

other voting machines that produce a voter-verifiable paper ballot. Any municipality conducting regular municipal elections in May pursuant to the provisions

of the “Uniform Nonpartisan Elections Law,” P.L.1981, c. 379 ( C.40:45-5 et seq. ), may, by an ordinance adopted by its governing body, also conduct early voting for

the regular municipal election, in accordance with the provisions of this act, P.L.2021, c. 40 ( C.19:15A-1 et al.). If adopted by a municipal governing body, the early voting period for a regular

municipal election in May shall start on the 4th calendar day before the regular municipal

election and end on the second calendar day before that regular municipal election. An early voting period shall only be permitted for a non-presidential or presidential

primary election and a general election in this State and, if adopted by a municipal

governing body, a regular municipal election conducted in May. Pursuant to the provisions of this act and Title 19 of the Revised Statutes and

in accordance with procedures that may be established by the Secretary of State for

verifying eligible voters, each county board of elections shall verify that a registered

voter is qualified to vote in the election and shall prescribe the manner by which

a registered voter may vote during such period. b. (1) For the primary and the general election, each county board of elections shall

designate at least three, but not more than five, public locations within each county

as the sites for early voting to occur, except that the county board shall designate

at least five, but not more than seven, public locations for early voting if the number

of registered voters in the county is at least 150,000 but less than 300,000, and

shall designate at least seven, but not more than 10, public locations for early voting

if the number of registered voters in the county is 300,000 or more. This provision shall not be interpreted to prevent county boards of elections, at

their discretion, from establishing additional locations in excess of the five, seven,

or 10 location limits respectively set forth herein; provided, however, that the

State shall be required to provide reimbursement for the costs of locations up to

and including the five, seven, or 10 respective limits established herein, and shall

not be required to provide reimbursement for additional locations beyond those limits

under section 6 of this act, P.L.2021, c. 40 ( C.19:15A-6 ). The number of registered voters in each county shall be determined ahead of the

selection of early voting sites pursuant to a uniform standard which shall be developed

by the Secretary of State through the rulemaking process pursuant to the “Administrative

Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c. 410 ( C.52:14B-1 et seq. ). Whenever possible, early voting locations shall be geographically located so as

to ensure both access in the part of the county that features the greatest concentration

of population, according to the most recent federal decennial census of the United

States, and access in various geographic areas of the county. All early voting locations shall be public facilities, such as county courthouses,

public libraries and the offices of the municipal clerk, county clerk, and county

board of elections, or places of public accommodation as provided under Title 10 of

the Revised Statutes. No public school building and no building used as a public school, as that term

is defined under N.J.S.18A:1-1 , shall, however, be designated as an early voting location. The locations shall be designated at the same time as all other polling places are

designated by the board of elections. In the event of a tie vote among members of the county board with respect to the

selection of sites for early voting, the county clerk shall cast the deciding vote. Once early voting locations are designated in each county, county boards of election

shall evaluate and, if deemed necessary, revise these locations in order to accommodate

significant changes in the number of registered voters within each county, reflect

the population distribution and density within each county, or because of similar

circumstances. The Secretary of State may develop the criteria to be used by county boards of election

to revise the location of early voting sites and shall prescribe how often such revision

shall take place. A voter shall be permitted to vote at any early voting site in the voter's county. (2) Whenever a municipality that conducts regular municipal elections in May chooses

to participate in early voting for the regular municipal election, the county board

of elections shall designate at least one public location, but not more than three

public locations, within the municipality as the site or sites for early voting to

occur. This provision shall not be interpreted to prevent a county board of elections,

at its discretion, from establishing additional locations in excess of the three location

limit set forth herein; provided, however, that the State shall be required to provide

reimbursement for the costs of locations up to and including the three location limit

established herein, and shall not be required to provide reimbursement for additional

locations beyond that limit under section 6 of this act, P.L.2021, c. 40 ( C.19:15A-6 ). Whenever possible, each such location shall be geographically located in the part

of the municipality that features the greatest concentration of population, according

to the most recent federal decennial census of the United States. All early voting locations shall be public facilities, such as municipal courthouses

and the offices of the municipal clerk, or places of public accommodation as provided

under Title 10 of the Revised Statutes. No public school building and no building used as a public school, as that term

is defined under N.J.S.18A:1-1 , shall be designated as an early voting location. The locations shall be designated at the same time as all other polling places are

designated by the board of elections. In the event of a tie vote among members of the county board with respect to the

selection of sites for early voting, the municipal clerk shall cast the deciding vote. Once early voting locations are designated in each municipality, county boards of

election shall evaluate and, if deemed necessary, revise these locations in order

to accommodate significant changes in the number of registered voters within each

municipality, reflect the population distribution and density within each municipality,

or because of similar circumstances. The Secretary of State may develop the criteria to be used by county boards of election

to revise the location of early voting sites and shall prescribe how often such revision

shall take place. A voter shall be permitted to vote at any early voting site in the voter's municipality. c. Each early voting site in a county or municipality shall be open for early voting

on Monday through Saturday from at least 10 AM to 8 PM, and on Sunday from at least

10 AM to 6 PM. Any voter who is on line at the time scheduled for the closing of an early voting

site shall be permitted to vote. d. The election officers responsible for conducting early voting shall be the same

as those responsible for conducting a primary and a general election, as appropriate,

pursuant to this Title. The number of such officers and their hours of service shall be as determined by

each county board of elections. The compensation for such officers shall be the same as provided to district board

of election members serving at a school election pursuant to R.S.19:45-6 , or that required pursuant to Article I, paragraph 23 of the New Jersey Constitution , whichever is greater. e. The restrictions governing the conduct of voters at a polling place on the days

that early voting occurs, the procedures governing who is permitted in a polling place

on such occasions and the prohibition on electioneering within 100 feet of a polling

place during an election, shall be as provided in chapters 15, 34, 50 and 52 of Title

19 of the Revised Statutes and every other applicable section of this Title. f. In real time using the electronic poll books each day during the early voting period,

and prior to the start of each regularly scheduled primary and general election, and

regular municipal election in each non-partisan municipality choosing to participate

in early voting, each county board shall make such changes as may be necessary to

the voter's record in the Statewide voter registration system to indicate that a voter

has voted in that election using the early voting procedure. g. (1) Each county board shall be responsible for forming and executing a written

plan to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, the integrity of the voting process

and the security of ballots used during the early voting period, including the security

of voting machines, voted ballots, and election records. The plan shall be based on guidelines established by the Secretary of State and

shall be submitted thereto no later than December 15 of each year. The Secretary of State shall review and, if deemed necessary thereby, require changes

to a plan no later than February 1 of each year. Each plan shall specify a chain of custody and security plan for the voting machines,

and a chain of custody for the voted ballots and election records and materials, and

shall require, among other specifications deemed necessary by the Secretary of State

and county boards of election, that all voted ballots shall be transferred at the

end of each early voting day to county boards of election for safekeeping. After the voted ballots are transferred to the county board of elections at the

end of each early voting day, a county board may elect to impound those voted ballots

on a secure server, or by any other means deemed appropriate by the Secretary of State. The voted ballots shall not be canvassed until the closing of the polls on election

day as required pursuant to section 4 of this act, P.L.2021, c. 40 ( C.19:15A-4 ). The results of the voted ballots cast during early voting shall remain confidential

and shall be disclosed only in accordance with the provisions of Title 19 of the Revised

Statutes, regulations, and guidelines concerning the disclosure of election results,

and a violation shall be subject to the penalties established by law. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, in the year in which P.L.2021, c. 40 ( C.19:15A-1 et al.) becomes law, each county board shall submit its plan to the Secretary of

State within 30 days following the effective date of this act and the Secretary of

State shall review it and, if deemed necessary thereby, require changes in the plan

within 45 days following the effective date of this act. h. Each county board shall make certain that each polling place used for early voting

shall be accessible to individuals with disabilities and the elderly, in compliance

with the “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990” ( 42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq. ), and that each polling place provides such voters, including the blind and visually

impaired, the same opportunity for access and participation, including privacy and

independence, as other voters in compliance with the “Help America Vote Act of 2002”

( 42 U.S.C. s.15481 ). i. The Secretary of State shall establish a printing on demand ballot and elections

system. At a minimum, the system shall be compatible with the Statewide voter registration

system established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2005, c. 145 ( C.19:31-31 ) and any electronic poll books provided by section 1 of P.L.2019, c. 80 ( C.19:31-35 ). Each polling place used for early voting shall have a computer, tablet, or other

electronic device to print provisional ballots for voters required to vote by provisional

ballot in accordance with the provisions of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes or due

to an equipment malfunction as further provided under section 3 of P.L.2019, c. 80 ( C.19:31-37 ), or any other election related material, if needed. A computer, tablet, or other electronic device and the printer used to print election

materials at a polling place shall not be used unless it has been certified by the

Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall adopt and publish standards and regulations governing

the certification and use of computer, tablets, or other electronic devices and printers

to print election materials at each polling place used for early voting. The Secretary of State shall not certify a computer, tablet, or other electronic

device or printer unless it is in compliance with the secretary's standards. j. Each polling place used for early voting shall also have such appropriate supplies,

ballots and other materials deemed necessary by the Secretary of State or as is required

currently for a polling place on the day of any election by Title 19 of the Revised

Statutes.