Clarifies MVC voter registration prompts for certain persons.

S4132

SENATE, No. 4132

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 11, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Senator� KRISTIN M. CORRADO

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Testa, Space and Tiver

SYNOPSIS

���� Clarifies MVC voter registration prompts for certain
persons.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
prohibiting Motor Vehicle Commission from prompting
non-citizens to register to vote and amends P.L.1994, c.182.

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

���� 1.��� Section 24 of P.L.1994,
c.182 (C.39:2-3.2) is amended to read as follows:

���� 24.� a. The Secretary of
State, with the assistance of the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor
Vehicle Commission, shall provide for an eligible applicant to simultaneously
apply for a motor vehicle driver's license, an examination permit, a probationary
driver's license, or a non-driver identification card, as applicable, and be
automatically registered to vote, or have an existing voter registration
updated, in a manner which satisfies both the requirements necessary to receive
a license to operate a motor vehicle, pursuant to R.S.39:3-10, or an
examination permit, a probationary driver's license, or a non-driver
identification card, as applicable, and to register to vote, pursuant to
R.S.19:4-1.� The applicant shall be offered an opportunity to decline the
automatic voter registration under this section.�

���� b. (1) Pursuant to subsection
a. of this section, for every application for a REAL ID license or
identification card, and each related update, renewal, or change of address,
where, in the course of business with the Motor Vehicle
Commission, the applicant provides or has provided documentation demonstrating
United States citizenship, is determined to not already be registered to vote
in the State of New Jersey in accordance with subsection g. of this section,
and is of sufficient age to register to vote, the Chief Administrator shall
promptly transmit electronically to the Secretary of State the applicant�s:

(a) name;

(b) date of birth;

(c) driver�s
license or state ID number;

(d) residence
address, and mailing address if different from the residence address;

(e) county of
residence;

(f) information
concerning the applicant�s citizenship status;

(g) signature as a
digitized image;

(h) telephone
number, if available; and

(i) e-mail
address, if available.

���� The
Chief Administrator shall not transmit information for any person who
,
at the time of an application for a REAL ID license or identification card or a
related update, renewal, or change of address transaction for a REAL ID license
or identification card with the Motor Vehicle Commission, provides a document
that conclusively demonstrates that the person is not a United States citizen
.� Nothing in this section shall be construed to amend the
substantive qualifications for voter registration in this State, or to require
documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration
,
or to require the Motor Vehicle Commission to maintain or
validate official records of voter registration.� Nothing in this section shall
be construed to authorize the Motor Vehicle Commission to request documentation
establishing an applicant�s citizenship solely for the purposes of voter
registration.

���� (2)
Upon receiving information pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection for a
person who is not registered to vote in the State of New Jersey, is of
sufficient age to register to vote, and has provided documentation
demonstrating United States citizenship in the course of business with the
Motor Vehicle Commission, unless the Secretary of State determines that the
person is ineligible to register to vote or is a member of the Address
Confidentiality Program pursuant to R.S.47:4-1, the Secretary of State shall
transmit the person�s information to the appropriate county commissioner of
registration.

���� (3)
Upon receiving information pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, a
county commissioner of registration shall proceed to register the person to
vote pursuant to
section 17 of P.L.1974, c.30 (C.19:31-6.5)
and send to the person�s address of record, by
nonforwardable mail, a notice that the person has been registered to vote that
contains a postage paid preaddressed return form by which the person may
affiliate with a political party or decline to be registered and request that
their registration be removed from the Statewide voter registration system.�
Such notice shall also provide an option for the person to apply for and
receive a mail-in ballot as provided under section 3 of P.L.2009, c.79
(C.19:63-3), until the voter requests otherwise.� A notice mailed pursuant to
this paragraph shall include an explanation of the eligibility requirements to
register to vote.� The notice shall also state the penalties for submission of
a false application.� A person shall not be registered to vote pursuant to this
subsection until their information has been received and processed by a county
commissioner of registration pursuant to section 17 of P.L.1974, c.30
(C.19:31-6.5), provided that such registration shall be deemed effective as of
the date of the person�s application with the Motor Vehicle Commission.�
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to alter the provisions of
R.S.19:31-15.

���� (4)
The notice provided under paragraph (3) of this subsection shall
also
include a statement that, if the person declines to register to vote and
requests to have their registration removed from the Statewide voter
registration system, the request will remain confidential unless required by
other laws, regulations, or a lawful court order or subpoena, and will be used
only for election administration purposes under the provisions of Title 19 of
the Revised Statutes.� Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to alter
the provisions of R.S.19:31-15.� The notice shall also include

a
statement that, if a person does not decline registration, the office at which
the person was registered will remain confidential and will be used only for
election administration purposes.�

���� (5) The Secretary of State
shall prescribe the form of the notice required under paragraph (3) of this
subsection.� Such notice may be combined with the notice provided to newly
registered voters pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of
section 17 of
P.L.1974, c.30 (C:19:31-6.5).� The
notice shall include the required information in English and Spanish, as well
any additional language which is the primary language of five percent or more
of the registered voters in the county where the notice is mailed.

���� (6) If a person returns the
notice provided under paragraph (3) of this subsection by declining to be
registered and requesting to have their registration removed from the Statewide
voter registration system, the county commissioner of registration shall remove
the person�s voter registration from the Statewide voter registration system,
and the person shall be deemed to have never registered.� However, if the
person has voted in an election after the transfer of the person�s record but
before the notice is returned, the returned form shall be of no force and
effect and the person shall be registered as of the date of the person�s
application with the Motor Vehicle Commission.� Nothing in this paragraph shall
be construed to alter the provisions of R.S.19:31-15.

���� (7) If a person returns the
notice provided under paragraph (3) of this subsection and affiliates with a
political party, the person shall be registered to vote as of the date of the
person�s application with the Motor Vehicle Commission and the person�s
affiliation shall be marked effective as of the date the affiliation
information is received.

���� (8) If the person returns the
notice provided under paragraph (3) of this subsection but does not select any
options or provide any new information, the form shall be of no force and
effect, and the person shall remain registered to vote.

���� (9) If a notice provided under
paragraph (3) of this subsection is returned as undeliverable, the county
commissioner of registration shall send the person a confirmation notice
pursuant to subsection d. of R.S.19:31-15.

���� (10) Information relating to
the return of a notice form declining to be registered shall not be used for
any purpose other than as described under paragraph (4) of this subsection.�
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit, or in any way restrict,
any action where such prohibition or restriction would be contrary to federal
law.� However, documents, records, or information relating to an individual
person�s decision declining to be registered shall not be disclosed for any
purpose related to Title 8 of the United States Code without the person�s
informed consent, a warrant signed by a State or federal judge, or a lawful
court order or subpoena.

���� c.���� (1) Pursuant to
subsection a. of this section, for every application for a standard motor
vehicle driver's license, an

examination permit, a standard

probationary driver's
license, or a standard non-driver identification card, and each related update,
renewal, or change of address, by a person who is determined to not already be
registered to vote in the State of New Jersey in accordance with subsection g.
of this section, except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this
subsection, the Chief Administrator shall ensure that the information necessary
for voter registration is collected from the application and promptly transmitted
electronically to the Secretary of State if the applicant selects the option to
register to vote. Such application shall require an applicant to either
affirmatively select or affirmatively decline voter registration as a necessary
condition to complete the application.� The Chief Administrator shall ensure
that electronic records are not transmitted to the Secretary of State for any
applicant who has declined registration under this subsection.� Upon receiving
information pursuant to this section, the Secretary of State shall transmit the
person�s information to the appropriate county commissioner of registration.�
The Commissioner of Registration shall register to vote any eligible applicant
who has selected voter registration under this subsection.�

���� (2) Voter registration
information from an application received online for the renewal of a motor
vehicle driver's license or non-driver identification card shall be collected
and promptly transmitted electronically to the Secretary of State upon the implementation
by the Secretary of State of online voter registration.� Subsection c. of this
section shall be inapplicable to such applications until that time.

���� (3) Voter registration
information from an application received through the mail for the renewal of a
motor vehicle driver's license or non-driver identification card shall be
exempt from collection and electronic transmission to the Secretary of State until
such time as the Chief Administrator determines that the prompt electronic
transmission of the information is practicable.� Paragraph 4 of this section
shall be inapplicable to such applications until that time.� Following the
effective date of P.L.2018, c.6, the Chief Administrator shall inform the
Governor and the Legislature every six months of the practicability of
collecting and transmitting to the Secretary of State voter registration
information from such applications.� This paragraph shall not be construed to
preclude the Motor Vehicle Commission from processing voter registration
applications received in the manner in which such applications were processed
in connection with such renewals prior to the effective date of P.L.2018, c.6.

���� (4) The Chief Administrator
shall provide for the following notices to be provided with every application
for a standard

motor vehicle driver�s license, an examination permit, a
standard probationary driver's license, or a standard non-driver identification
card and every related update, renewal, or change of address conducted pursuant
to subsection c. of this section:

���� (a) a notice requiring the
applicant to either affirmatively select or affirmatively decline voter
registration as a necessary condition to complete the application;

���� (b) a notice of the voter
eligibility requirements under R.S.19:4-1 and the penalties for false
registration and illegal voting under Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, which
notice shall contain an affirmation that the applicant meets each such
requirement and shall require the signature of the applicant, under penalty of
law; and

���� (c) a notice that an applicant
who is a victim of domestic violence or stalking may decline the automatic
voter registration and register to vote without disclosing the applicant's
street address pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1994, c.148 (C.19:31-3.2).

���� d.��� (1) For every
application for a motor vehicle driver�s license, an examination permit, a
probationary driver�s license, or a non-driver identification card, and each
related update, renewal, or change of address,
by an
applicant who is determined to already be registered to vote in the State of
New Jersey pursuant to subsection g. of this section, the Chief Administrator
shall promptly transmit electronically to the Secretary of State information
regarding the applicant�s name and address for the purpose of maintaining
current information on the applicant.

���� (2) Any change of address
notification received by the Chief Administrator in paper format shall be
reported to the Secretary of State no later than the 10th day following its
receipt by the Chief Administrator.

���� (3)��
For
any information received from the Chief Administrator pursuant to paragraph (1)
of subsection d. of this section for an applicant who is already registered to
vote in the State of New Jersey, and that indicates a different name or address
from that on the person�s voter registration record, the Secretary of State
shall transmit change of address and change of name information for the person
to the appropriate commissioner of registration. �
The Commissioner of
Registration in the applicant�s county of residence shall use the change of
address or change of name notification to update an existing voter
registration, transfer the person�s registration file if inactive to the active
file, and send to the person�s address of record, by forwardable mail, notice
of the change and a postage paid preaddressed return form by which the person
may verify or correct the information.� If the person returns the notice and
indicates that the change to the person�s registration record was an error, the
appropriate county commissioners of registration, including the commissioner of
the previous county of residence, shall immediately correct the person�s
previously updated information in the Statewide Voter Registration System.� A
change of address notification submitted to the commission, which is used for
voter registration purposes, shall be subject to the provisions of section 1 of
P.L.1994, c.148 (C.19:31-3.2) if the person submitting the change of address
notification previously registered to vote in accordance with that section.

���� e.� If a person who is not
entitled to vote becomes registered to vote pursuant to this section, that
person's registration shall be presumed to have been effected with official
authorization, and the person shall not be deemed to have committed a crime under
R.S.19:34-1.� This subsection shall not apply to a person who knowingly and
willfully makes a false statement to effectuate voter registration.

���� f.���� The Secretary of State,
with the assistance of the Chief Administrator, shall take appropriate measures
to educate the public about voter registration under this section.

���� g.��� The Secretary of State
and the Chief Administrator shall jointly develop a process by which the Motor
Vehicle Commission, upon obtaining a person�s full name, date of birth,
driver�s license or state identification number, residence address, and mailing
address if different from residence address, may use information from the
statewide voter registration system to determine whether the person is already
registered to vote in the state.

���� For the purposes of this
section, "eligible applicant" means a person submitting to the
commission an application for a motor vehicle driver's license, an examination
permit, a probationary driver's license, or a non-driver identification card who
meets all requirements for eligibility to vote under R.S.19:4-1.

����
h.��� If a person
completing a transaction at a Motor Vehicle Commission agency location presents
identification that indicates the person is not a citizen of the United States,
the person shall not be prompted to register to vote on the electronic
signature pad and the person�s information shall not be transmitted by the
Chief Administrator to the Secretary of State.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.204, s.6)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect 30 days after the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill prohibits the Motor
Vehicle Commission from prompting non-citizens to register to vote.� If a
person completing a transaction at a Motor Vehicle Commission agency location
presents identification that indicates the person is not a citizen of the
United States, the person will not be prompted to register to vote on the
electronic signature pad.� The person�s information will not be transmitted by
the Chief Administrator to the Secretary of State.