A3702

An Act concerning application for membership on district boards and amending R.S.19:6-2.

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

1. R.S.19:6-2 is amended to read as follows:

19:6-2. a. The following persons may apply in writing to the county board, on a form prepared and furnished by the county board, for appointment as a member of a district board of any municipality in the county in which he or she resides: (1) a legal voter who is a member of a political party by virtue of having voted in a party primary or who has filed a party declaration form for the ensuing primary election for the general election with the commissioner of the county in which the voter is registered and who, for two years prior to making written application, has not espoused the cause of another political party or its candidates; (2) a legal voter who is not affiliated with a political party; (3) a United States citizen and resident of this State who is 16 or 17 years of age, attends a secondary school and has the written permission of his or her parent or guardian to serve as a member of the board if appointed; [or] (4) a United States citizen and resident of this State who is 16 or 17 years of age and has graduated from a secondary school or has passed a general educational development test, GED, and has the written permission of his or her parent or guardian to serve as a member of the board if appointed; or (5) a United States citizen who is enrolled as a full-time student at an institution of higher education in the county, even if that student is not a resident of the county or the State.

b. The application, signed by the applicant under his or her oath, shall state: (1) the applicant's name and address; (2) the applicant's age, if the applicant is less than 18 years of age; (3) the political party to which he or she belongs or, if the applicant is not affiliated with a political party, the fact that the applicant is not so affiliated; (4) that the applicant is of good moral character and has not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; [and] (5) that the applicant possesses the following qualifications: eyesight, with or without correction, sufficient to read nonpareil type; ability to read the English language readily; ability to add and subtract figures correctly; ability to write legibly with reasonable facility; reasonable knowledge of the duties to be performed by the applicant as an election officer under the election laws of this State; and health sufficient to discharge his or her duties as an election officer; and (6) whether the applicant is a full-time student at an institution of higher education located in the county.

c. If an applicant for appointment to a district board is 16 or 17 years of age, then the applicant shall provide to the county board, along with the application provided under subsection b. of this section: (1) a written document signed by the applicant's parent or guardian giving the applicant permission to serve as a member of a district board if appointed and (2) if an election, meeting or training is scheduled to take place when school is in session, a written document from his or her school that acknowledges the applicant's application for appointment as a member of a district board and excuses the applicant from school on the dates of service if appointed, except that the requirement contained in subparagraph (2) of this subsection shall not apply to a United States citizen and resident of this State who is 16 or 17 years of age and has graduated from a secondary school or has passed a general educational development test, GED.

d. No person shall be precluded from applying to serve as a member of a district board of any municipality for failure to vote in any year such person was ineligible to vote by reason of age or residence.

e. In no case shall a person 16 or 17 years of age be permitted to serve as a member of a district board on the day of an election for more than the number of hours permitted for such a person to work pursuant to P.L.1940, c.153 (C.34:2-21.1 et seq.), as amended and supplemented.

(cf: P.L.2011, c.134, s.5)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

Under current law, to be a district board member, or poll worker, the person must meet the following qualifications when applying to the district board: (1) be a registered voter of the county in which the person wants to serve as a district board member, or (2) if a high school student of 16 or 17 years of age, be a U.S. citizen and receive the written permission of a parent or guardian, or if 16 or 17 years of age, be a U.S. citizen and a graduate of a secondary school or have passed a general educational development (GED) test. In all cases, the applicant must be a resident of the county in which the individual wants to serve as a district board member.

This bill expands who can apply for membership to a district board by permitting U.S. citizens who are full-time college students at an institution of higher education in the county to be district board members in that county, even if the student is not a resident of that county or State.