New Jersey A 2454: Requires certain electric public utilities to file emergency response plan with Board of Public Utilities.

Bill Text

A2454 

ASSEMBLY, No. 2454 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Bagolie, Collazos-Gill, Haider and Drulis

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires at least one drive-up ballot drop box in 
each county; requires certain information to be posted at ballot drop boxes and 
locations.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

��

An Act concerning ballot drop boxes and amending P.L.2020, 
c.72. 

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

���� 1.� Section 1 of P.L.2020, 
c.72 (C.19:63-16.1) is amended to read as follows:� 

���� 1.� a.� In addition to 
delivering a voted mail-in ballot by mail or in person as provided under 
"The Vote By Mail Law," P.L.2009, c.79 (C.19:63-1 et seq.), a mail-in 
voter shall be entitled to deposit the voter's completed mail-in ballot in a ballot 
drop box established by the county board of elections as provided under this 
section.� Each mail-in ballot deposited in a ballot drop box by the time 
designated under current law for the closing of the polls for that election 
shall be considered valid and shall be canvassed.� If, at the closing of the 
polls, a voter deposits a mail-in ballot at a ballot drop box in a county in 
which the voter does not reside, the county board of elections, upon 
discovering that fact, shall notify and timely deliver the ballot to the county 
board of elections of the county in which the voter resides, who shall accept 
the ballot for processing.� The limitations and prohibitions applicable to 
mail-in ballot bearers under "The Vote By Mail Law," P.L.2009, c.79 
(C.19:63-1 et seq.) shall apply under this section.

���� b.� (1)� For any election, the 
county board of elections in each county shall establish ballot drop boxes 
where voters may deposit their voted mail-in ballots at least 45 days before 
the election.� The ballot drop boxes shall be located throughout the county in 
a manner specified under paragraph (2) of this subsection.� The county board of 
elections may establish a pickup schedule to retrieve mail-in ballots deposited 
in ballot drop boxes, consistent with the guidelines established by the 
Secretary of State pursuant to subparagraph (c) of paragraph (2) of this 
subsection.

���� (2)� (a)� A ballot drop box 
shall mean a secured drop box that is not required to be within view of a live 
person for monitoring.� All ballot drop boxes shall be available for use by a 
voter 24 hours a day and shall be placed at locations equipped with security 
cameras that allow for surveillance of the ballot drop box.

���� (b)� Beginning with the 2021 
general election, at least one ballot drop box shall be located: at any county 
government building in which the main office of the county clerk is located; in 
each municipality with a population larger than 5,000 residents; at the main 
campus of each State college or university; and the main campus of each 
independent four-year college or university with enrollments larger than 5,000 
students. Notwithstanding the locational criteria established by this 
subparagraph, whenever two or more ballot drop box locations are separated by a 
distance of less than 2,000 feet, the board of elections in each county shall 
determine secondary locations for those ballot drop boxes in compliance with 
the requirements of this section. The secondary ballot drop box locations shall 
be located within the municipality where those ballot drop boxes were 
originally located and shall be approved by a majority vote of the members of 
the board of elections.� However, in the event of a tie in the votes cast by 
the members of the board of elections, the county clerk shall cast the deciding 
vote.� Whenever possible, at least one ballot drop box shall be located in a 
municipality with an average per capita income or a median family income at or 
below 250% of the federal poverty guideline according to the most recent 
federal American Community Survey.

���� (c)� The board of elections in 
each county shall establish no fewer than 10 ballot drop boxes.� To the best of 
their ability, the board of elections of every county shall place secure ballot 
drop boxes based on geographic location and population density to best serve 
the voters of each county in compliance with the guidelines adopted pursuant to 
subsection c. of this section.� The Secretary of State shall establish 
guidelines for the placement of the ballot drop boxes, the security of the 
ballot drop boxes, and the schedule for ballot pickup from the ballot boxes.

���� (d)� All ballot drop box 
locations shall be on sites that meet the accessibility requirements applicable 
to polling places under R.S.19:8-2 and shall be subject to the same compliance 
overs