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LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[First Reprint]
SENATE, No. 1636
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: MAY 20, 2024
SUMMARY
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Synopsis: |
Changes MVC voter registration procedures. |
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Type of Impact: |
Potential annual State and county expenditure increases. |
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Agencies Affected: |
Department of State; Motor Vehicle Commission; Department of Corrections; Department of Human Services; county governments. |
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Office of Legislative Services Estimate |
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Fiscal Impact |
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Annual |
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Potential State Expenditure Increase |
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Indeterminate |
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Potential County Expenditure Increase |
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Indeterminate |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that the bill may increase annual State and county expenditures, owing to potential technological upgrades and administrative workload increases that may be necessary to implement the bill’s changes to automatic voter registration procedures.
· The OLS notes that any upgrades to the Statewide voter registration system and the avenues utilized for interdepartmental electronic communications are indeterminate and will depend on the sufficiency of current systems to meet the workload requirements of the bill.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill makes various changes to voter registration procedures.
Under this bill, if a person applies 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, and the person is qualified to vote but not yet registered, the Motor Vehicle Commission must transmit the applicant’s name, date of birth, driver’s license or state identification number, residence address, county of residence, citizenship status, signature as a digitized image, telephone number, and e-mail address to the Secretary of State. Following this, the Secretary of State will notify the appropriate county commissioner of registration, who will register the person to vote and send a notice indicating so in the mail, which will include the option to apply for and receive mail-in ballots. The notice will be sent in both English and Spanish. The person may return the notice by pre-paid postage and decline voter registration at that time.
Under the bill, the Secretary of State is required to develop procedures for processing electronic records received from an agency without a digitized image of the applicant’s signature. Records without a digitized image of the applicant’s signature would be considered complete registration records, and a person whose registration record does not contain a digitized image of their signature must be identified in the Statewide voter registration system. The procedures developed by the Secretary of State must include methods for obtaining a signature for those individuals whose registration record does not contain a digitized image of their signature. However, individuals whose registration record does not contain a digitized image of their signature would not be permitted to vote until a signature is obtained.
This bill would allow the commission to electronically send completed online voter registration forms to the appropriate county commissioner of registration to input the information into the Statewide voter registration system. The bill also allows the Motor Vehicle Commission to receive change of residence information and change of name information for registered voters. Under this bill, a process is to be developed by the Secretary of State and the commission to compare information in the voter registration system to information obtained from the person to determine whether the person is registered to vote in the State.
The bill also requires the Secretary of State to determine if information provided to the commission differs from a person’s voter registration record. If so, the Secretary of State must transmit the changes to the appropriate county commissioner of registration. Upon doing so, a notice will be sent indicating the change, and the recipient may verify, correct, or decline the change.
Additionally, this bill requires the Department of Human Services to automatically and electronically transmit voter registration information to the Secretary of State for each person who applies to the New Jersey Medical Assistance and Health Services Program and meets the age and citizenship requirements to vote.
The bill also requires the Department of Corrections, the Secretary of State, and the Motor Vehicle Commission to coordinate efforts to ensure that eligible individuals scheduled to be released from incarceration who are provided non-driver identification cards are also provided voter registration opportunities.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS concludes that the bill may increase annual State and county expenditures, owing to potential technological upgrades and administrative workload increases that may be necessary to implement the bill’s changes to automatic voter registration procedures. The OLS notes that any upgrades to the Statewide voter registration system and the avenues utilized for interdepartmental electronic communications are indeterminate and will depend on the sufficiency of current systems to meet the workload requirements of the bill.
The OLS estimates that the bill may potentially increase administrative workloads and associated costs for the affected State and local departments and agencies due to several requirements, including: the Motor Vehicle Commission transmitting voter information to the Secretary of State; the Secretary of State developing procedures related to applications without a digitized signature; the commission processing name change and residence change information; the Secretary of State reviewing information the voter information provided by the commission and transmitting this information to the appropriate county commissioner of registration; the county commissioners of registration mailing voter registration changes and other specified notices and information to the registrants; the Department of Human Services transmitting voter information to the Secretary of State; and the Department of Corrections, the Secretary of State, and the Motor Vehicle Commission coordinating efforts to provide voter registration opportunities to eligible individuals released from incarceration.
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Section: |
State Government |
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Analyst: |
Assistant Fiscal Analyst |
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Approved: |
Thomas Koenig Legislative Budget and Finance Officer |
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).