LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[Fourth Reprint]
SENATE, No. 1636
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: DECEMBER 26, 2025
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; county governments. |
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Office of Legislative Services Estimate |
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Fiscal Impact |
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FY 2028 & Annually Thereafter |
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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 beginning in FY 2028.
· 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 REAL ID or an 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, information regarding 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, as well as request their registration to be removed from the Statewide voter registration system.
This bill requires the Motor Vehicle Commission to electronically send completed online voter registration forms to the Secretary of State, who will then transmit the forms to the appropriate county commissioner of registration to input the information into the Statewide voter registration system. The bill also requires the Motor Vehicle Commission and any other State agency that has adopted automatic voter registration procedures 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 Motor Vehicle 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 Motor Vehicle 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.
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 upon providing their next address.
The bill’s provisions will go into effect two years following the date of enactment.
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 beginning in FY 2028. 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 Motor Vehicle Commission and other State agencies processing name change and residence change information; the Secretary of State reviewing information the voter provided to 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; 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: |
Associate 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.).