Directs Secretary of State to establish grant program for counties to improve paper ballot counting process; appropriates $10 million.

A1013

ASSEMBLY, No. 1013

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman BALVIR SINGH

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Directs Secretary of State to establish grant program
for counties to improve paper ballot counting process; appropriates $10
million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
establishing a grant program for improving the State�s
vote-by-mail process and making an appropriation.

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

���� �1.�� a.� The Secretary of
State shall establish a temporary program to provide grants to county boards of
elections.� The purpose of the grant program shall be for improving that county
board�s paper ballot counting capabilities, including the counting of
vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.

���� �b.�� In establishing the
grant program pursuant to this section, the Secretary of State shall:�

���� (1)� survey each county board
of elections to collect information regarding procedural and technological
problems incurred during the 2020 General Election hindering the paper ballot
counting process;

���� (2)� analyze the results of
the survey and develop a plan to address the shortcomings that identifies
concrete categories of improvement areas that can be undertaken to improve the
vote-by-mail process;

���� (3)� develop guidelines and
procedures for the submission of grant applications, and criteria for the
evaluation of such applications;

���� (4)� establish terms and
conditions for the awarding of a grant under this section, and monitor grant
recipients� compliance with the terms and conditions; and

���� (5)� require the recipient of
a grant to report to the secretary information relating to its use of grant
funds.

���� �c.�� No later than three
years after the effective date of this act, the Secretary of State shall submit
a written report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature, on the effectiveness of the grant program in
improving paper ballot counting capabilities in the State.

���� �2.�� There is appropriated
from the State General Fund to the Department of State the sum of $10,000,000
to effectuate the provisions of this act, P.L.�� , c.�� (pending before the
Legislature as this bill).

���� �3.�� This act shall take
effect immediately, and shall expire upon the submittal by the secretary of the
report required pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill directs the
Secretary of State to establish a temporary grant program for improving the
vote-by-mail process in the State.� The purpose of the grant program would be
for improving a county board�s paper ballot counting capabilities, including the
counting of vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.

���� Under the bill, in
establishing the grant program, the Secretary of State is required to:

���� (1)� survey each county board
of elections to collect information regarding procedural and technological
problems incurred during the 2020 General Election hindering the paper ballot
counting process;

���� (2)� analyze the results of
the survey and develop a plan to address the shortcomings that identifies
concrete categories of improvement areas that can be undertaken to improve the
vote-by-mail process;

���� (3)� develop guidelines and
procedures for the submission of grant applications, and criteria for the
evaluation of such applications;

���� (4)� establish terms and
conditions for the awarding of a grant under this section, and monitor grant
recipients� compliance with the terms and conditions; and

���� (5)� require the recipient of
a grant to report to the secretary information relating to its use of grant
funds.

���� The bill also requires the
Secretary of State to submit a written report to the Governor and the
Legislature on the effectiveness of the grant program in improving paper ballot
counting capabilities in the State.

���� Under the bill, $10,000,000 is
appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of State to effectuate the
provisions of the bill.