New Jersey S 548: Permits use of uniform ballot for emergency and provisional ballot purposes.

Bill Text

S548 

SENATE, No. 548 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits use of uniform ballot for emergency and 
provisional ballot purposes.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning emergency ballots and provisional ballots 
and amending various parts of the statutory law and supplementing chapter 49 of 
Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� (New section)� 
Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary 
concerning the printing of separate sets of ballots marked as emergency ballots 
or provisional ballots and their delivery to each polling place for use at each 
election district on the day of an election, a uniform ballot that satisfies 
all ballot content requirements may be used in any election at an election 
district as an emergency ballot as provided under P.L.1992, c.3 (C.19:53B-1 et 
al.) or as a provisional ballot as provided under P.L.1999, c.232 (C.19:53C-1 
et al.), provided that all other respective materials, voting processes, and 
procedures for the use of emergency ballots and� provisional ballots at an 
election district on the day of an election are met and complied with. � 

���� 2.��� Section 3 of P.L.1940, 
c.197 (C.19:48-3.2) is amended to read as follows:

���� 3.��� No ballots shall be 
prepared or used at any election in any election district under the provisions 
of this act other than such ballots as are required for use in voting machines, 
emergency ballots for use if a voting machine fails to operate, as provided in 
P.L.1992, c.3 (C.19:53B-1 et al.), and provisional ballots for use by certain 
voters who no longer reside at the place from which they are registered, as 
provided in P.L.1999, c.232 (C.19:53C-1 et al.). Nothing in this section 
shall be interpreted to prevent the preparation and use at any election in any 
election district of a uniform ballot for use as an emergency ballot or as a 
provisional ballot, as provided under section 1 of P.L.�� , c.�� (C.�� ) (pending 
before the Legislature as this bill).

(cf: P.L.1999, c.232, s.4)

���� 3.��� Section 11 of P.L.1944, 
c.7 (C.19:48-3.13) is amended to read as follows: 

���� 11. No ballots other than 
ballots required for use in voting machines, emergency ballots for use if a 
voting machine fails to operate, as provided in P.L.1992, c.3 (C.19:53B-1 et 
al.), and provisional ballots for use by certain voters who no longer 
reside at the place from which they are registered, as provided in P.L.1999, c. 
232 (C.19:53C-1 et al.), shall be prepared or used at any election in any 
election district. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted

to prevent the preparation and 
use at any election in any election district of a uniform ballot for use as an 
emergency ballot or as a provisional ballot, as provided under section 1 of 
P.L.�� , c.�� (C.�� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

(cf: P.L.1999, c.232, s.5)

���� 4.��� R.S.19:48-7 is amended 
to read as follows:

���� 19:48-7.� If any voting 
machine being used in any election district shall, during the time the polls 
are open, become damaged so as to render it inoperative in whole or in part, 
the election officers shall immediately give notice thereof to the county board 
of elections or the superintendent of elections or the municipal clerk, as the 
case may be, having custody of voting machines, and such county board of 
elections or such superintendent of elections or such municipal clerk, as the 
case may be, shall cause any person or persons employed or appointed pursuant 
to section 19:48-6 of this Title to substitute a machine in perfect working 
order for the damaged machine.� At the close of the polls the records of both 
machines shall be taken and the votes shown on their counters shall be added 
together in ascertaining and determining the results of the election.� During 
any period when a voting machine is inoperative, emergency ballots or 
uniform ballots to be used as emergency ballots as authorized under section 1 of 
P.L.�� , c.�� (C.�� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) made as 
nearly as possible in the form of the official ballot shall be used in 
accordance with the provisions of this amendatory and supplementary act, 
P.L.1992, c.3 (C.19:53B-1 et al.), received by the election officers and placed 
by them in an emergency ballot box as provided in this amendatory and 
supplementary act, P.L.1992, c.3 (C.19:53B-1 et al.), and shall be counted with 
the votes registered on the voting machines. The result shall be declared the 
same as though there had been no accident to the voting machine.� The emergency 
ballots thus voted shall be preserved and returned with a statement setting