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S3204
SENATE, No. 3204
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JANUARY 28, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
���� Permits U.S. citizens who are full time college
students to be district board members in county of college even if student is
not a resident of county or State.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
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.