A5728

An Act requiring automatic voter registration processes when applying for concealed carry gun permits and amending R.S.19:31-6 and P.L.2018, c.6.

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

1. R.S.19:31-6 is amended to read as follows:

19:31-6. Any person qualified to vote in an election shall be entitled to vote in the election if the person shall have registered to vote on or before the 21st day preceding the election by:

a. registering in person at any offices designated by the commissioner of registration for providing and receiving registration forms;

b. completing a voter registration transaction, as processed by a county commissioner of registration, while applying for a motor vehicle driver's license from an agent of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, as provided for in section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2);

c. completing and returning to the Secretary of State or having returned thereto a voter registration form received from a voter registration agency, as defined in subsection a. of section 26 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.19:31-6.11), while applying for services or assistance or seeking a recertification, renewal, or change of address at an office of that agency;

d. completing and returning to the Secretary of State a voter registration form obtained from a public agency, as defined in subsection a. of section 15 of P.L.1974, c.30 (C.19:31-6.3);

e. completing and returning to the Secretary of State or having returned thereto a voter registration form received from a door-to-door canvass or mobile registration drive, as provided for in section 19 of P.L.1974, c.30 (C.19:31-6.7);

f. completing and returning to the Secretary of State a federal mail voter registration form, as prescribed in subsection (b) of section 9 of the "National Voter Registration Act of 1993," (42 U.S.C. s. 1973gg et seq.);

g. completing and returning to the Secretary of State or the appropriate county clerk an application for a federal postcard application form to register to vote, as permitted pursuant to the federal "Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act" 52 U.S.C. s.120301 et seq.) and section 4 of P.L.1976, c.23 (C.19:59-4);

h. completing a provisional ballot affirmation statement and voting the provisional ballot in the previous election, if the person who submitted the provisional ballot in that election is determined not to be a registered voter; [or]

i. completing and submitting an online voter registration form available on the Secretary of State's Internet website, as provided under section 1 of P.L.2019, c.382 (C.19:31-6.4c); or

j. completing a voter registration form as provided for in section 4 of P.L.2018, c.6 (C.19:31-6.14), while applying for a permit to carry handguns under any local police force or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety.

When the commissioner has designated a place or places other than his office for receiving registrations, the commissioner shall cause to be published a notice in a newspaper circulated in the municipality wherein such place or places of registration shall be located. Such notice shall be published pursuant to R.S.19:12-7.

Any office designated by the commissioner of registration for receiving registration forms shall have displayed, in a conspicuous location, registration and voting instructions. These instructions shall be the same as those provided for polling places under R.S.19:9-2 and shall be provided by the commissioner.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.204, s.1)

2. Section 4 of P.L.2018, c.6 (C.19:31-6.14) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. Any State agency, except for the Motor Vehicle Commission, that the Secretary of State verifies already collects sufficient information, including through documents or database verification, that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address, may establish and implement, upon approval by the Secretary of State, a procedure for automatically and electronically transmitting voter registration information to the Secretary of State of persons who are eligible to vote for the purpose of registering such persons to vote or updating their voter registration. Each person from whom such information is collected shall be offered an opportunity to decline automatic voter registration. Any such agency and each county commissioner of registration shall comply with the requirements to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State, as established in subsections b. through d. of section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2).

b. Subject to compliance with all applicable federal and State laws, rules, directives, and regulations, the Department of Corrections, the Secretary of State, and the Motor Vehicle Commission shall coordinate to ensure that eligible individuals scheduled to be released from incarceration imposed as a sentence for a crime and who are provided a non-driver identification card in anticipation of release pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2020, c.45 (C.30:1B-6.15) are also provided voter registration opportunities pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2) as part of the application for such non-driver identification card. An otherwise eligible individual shall not be processed for voter registration pursuant to this section unless the individual has identified a place of residence within the State where the individual will reside following the individual’s release from incarceration. An otherwise eligible individual shall not be registered to vote pursuant to this section until the person’s release from incarceration imposed as a sentence for a crime, and the notices and procedures required by section 24 of P.L. 1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2) may be modified by the Secretary of State to allow for processing of registration information from an otherwise eligible person and to reflect that an otherwise eligible person shall not be registered to vote until the person’s release from incarceration imposed as a sentence for a crime. In processing information received pursuant to this section, the Department of Corrections, the Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission, and each county commissioner of registration shall comply with the requirements established in section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2), to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State, the Department of Corrections, and the county commissioners of registration shall coordinate to ensure that no person is registered to vote pursuant to this subsection until the person has been released from incarceration imposed as a sentence for a crime.

c. Any additional agencies that are designated for automatic voter registration pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall comply with the requirements, to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State, as established in section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2) for automatic voter registration and shall provide the notices required pursuant to subsection b. through d. of that section to each person from whom such information is collected.

d. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, any local police force or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety issuing permits to carry handguns, established pursuant to N.J.S.2C:58-4, and that the Secretary of State verifies already collects documents that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address, shall establish and implement, upon approval by the Secretary of State, a procedure for automatically and electronically transmitting voter registration information to the Secretary of State of persons who are eligible to vote for the purpose of registering such persons to vote or updating their voter registration. Each person from whom such information is collected shall be offered an opportunity to decline automatic voter registration. A local police force or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety implementing the provisions of this subsection shall comply with the requirements, to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State, for automatic voter registration as established in section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2), including the provision of the notices required to be provided to each person from whom voter registration information is collected.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.204, s.3)

3. This act shall take effect on January 1 next following the date of enactment but the Secretary of State may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the establishment of an automatic voter registration process similar to that currently applicable at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to be available for persons applying at local police forces or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety for permits to carry and conceal handguns.

Under current law, a person applying for a concealed carry permit must submit the application to the applicant’s local police force, or, in certain cases, to the New Jersey State Police. Under the bill, the New Jersey State Police and certain police forces would be required to establish and implement, upon approval by the Secretary of State, a procedure for automatically and electronically transmitting voter registration information to the Secretary of State when a person submits an application for a concealed carry permit. The Secretary of State would be required to verify that the law enforcement agency already collects documents that would provide proof of eligibility for voter registration, including age, citizenship, and residence address. When submitting a concealed carry permit, a person would be given the option to register to vote, update their voter registration, or decline automatic voter registration. The bill requires affected law enforcement agencies to comply with the automatic voter registration requirements established under current law for the MVC, including providing required notices, to the extent applicable, as determined by the Secretary of State.