Establishes public awareness campaign concerning federal rules for US Postal Service postmark and its effect on mail-in ballots; directs Secretary of State to evaluate adequacy of mail-in ballot drop box placement and usage; appropriates $100,000.

S3815

SENATE, No. 3815

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Greenstein

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes public awareness campaign concerning
federal rules for US Postal Service postmark and its effect on mail-in ballots;
directs Secretary of State to evaluate adequacy of mail-in ballot drop box
placement and usage; appropriates $100,000.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning the mailing and receipt of mail-in
ballots, supplementing P.L.2009, c.79 (C.19:63-1 et seq.), 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 public awareness campaign to inform the general public about
the federal rules defining the United States Postal Service postmark and its
potential impacts on the postmark of mail-in ballots.� The campaign shall, at a
minimum, provide information on:

���� (1) �the United States Postal
Service postmark definition;

���� (2) �the potential for a
postmark to be applied on a date other than the date when mail was provided to
the United States Postal Service;

���� (3) �the potential
consequences for mail having a postmark date that is later than the date that
an individual provided the mail to the United States Postal Service, including,
but not limited to, mail-in ballots not being canvassed, pursuant to section 22
of P.L.2009, c.79 (C.19:63-22); and

���� (4) �the option for
individuals to deposit mail-in ballots in ballot drop boxes or to request free
manual postmarks at a post office retail location.

���� b.� The Secretary of State
shall implement a public awareness campaign about the impacts of the United
States Postal Service postmark definition through media outlets and the
department�s Internet website, no later than 60 days after the enactment of P.L. ,
c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). �Such media
outlets shall include, but need not be limited to: Statewide newspapers, radio,
public service announcements, social media, television advertisements, and any
other media outlets deemed appropriate by the Secretary of State.

���� 2.� The Secretary of State
shall, in collaboration with all county boards of elections in this State, within
90 days of the effective date of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before
the Legislature as this bill), assess the placement of mail-in ballot drop boxes
in each county to ensure the locations meet the provisions of section 1 of
P.L.2020, c.72 (C.19:63-16.1) and evaluate the usage of such drop boxes to
ensure their placement meets the current needs of voters.� Based on the
evaluation, the secretary shall issue a report containing findings and
recommendations to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature concerning any statutory changes deemed
necessary to the current law, including, but not limited to, changes to the
number and location of ballot drop boxes.

���� 3.� There is appropriated from
the General Fund to the Department of State the sum of $100,000 to develop and
implement the public awareness campaign established pursuant to P.L.��� ,
c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 4. �This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Secretary of State to establish a public awareness campaign concerning the federal
rules defining the United States Postal Service (USPS) postmark and its
potential impacts on the postmark of mail-in ballots.

���� In December 2025, the USPS
finalized a rule establishing section 608.11 of the Domestic Mail Manual, which
defines postmarks, identifies the types of USPS markings that qualify as
postmarks, and describes the circumstances under which those markings are
applied.� Because the date postmarked on a mailed item may be later than when
the mail is first received by the USPS, the rule also advises customers on how
to obtain evidence of the date on which the USPS accepts possession of their
mail, including requesting a free, manual postmark. �Although the USPS advises that
the language in the manual does not change any existing postal operations or
postmarking practices, the new language is intended to advance public
understanding of postmarks and their relationship to the date of mailing. �

���� The bill provides that the Secretary
of State will develop and implement a public awareness campaign about the
impacts of postmark dates on mail-in ballots through the department�s Internet
website and media outlets, which will include, but not be limited to: Statewide
newspapers, radio, public service announcements, social media, and television
advertisements.�

���� Under current law, every
mail-in ballot that bears a postmark date before or of the day of election and that
is received by the county board within 144 hours after the time of the closing
of the polls is considered valid and canvassed.� The public awareness campaign
will inform the public of the risk of a mail-in ballot not being accepted if it
is postmarked after election day, despite being mailed by election day.� A
voter has the option to request a manual postmark to ensure the mail-in ballot
is postmarked by election day. �The campaign will also inform the public that voters
may also deposit their mail-in ballots in ballot drop boxes without being
impacted by the USPS postmark processes.

���� The bill requires the
Secretary of State, in collaboration with all county boards of elections in
this State, to assess ballot drop box placement in each county and evaluate the
usage of such drop boxes to ensure their placement meets the current needs of
voters.� Based on the evaluation, the secretary is required to issue a report
to the Governor and the Legislature concerning any statutory changes deemed
necessary to the current law, including changes to the number and location of
ballot drop boxes.

The bill also appropriates
$100,000 from the General Fund to the Department of State to develop and
implement the public awareness campaign.