Assembly Dems plan election reform package
Friday, October 29, 2004
By TERRENCE DOPP  NJ.com
Trenton Bureau

TRENTON Assembly Democrats on Thursday proposed a 15-point election reform package that would allow early voting, mandate electronic machines include a paper trail and move up New Jersey's late presidential primary election.

Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Roberts, D-5 of Camden, and several other Democrats in the lower house, began calls for the measures as pre-election controversy over thousands of wayward absentee ballots began in Florida.

Congress approved funding for a nationwide effort to improve elections in the wake of that situation.

Democrats said legislation in the package which has yet to be introduced is meant to spur voter participation.

"New Jerseyans should not have to face a maze of deadlines and stumbling blocks in order to exercise their right to vote," said Roberts, who sponsored New Jersey's so-called motor voter bill allowing drivers to register when renewing licenses.

"These are things that are long overdue in New Jersey."

Roberts said Democrats hope to have the measures instituted by early next year. He did not release a cost estimate.

The highly publicized presidential contest between incumbent George W. Bush and Democratic challenger U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has spurred a rush of registrations. In New Jersey, almost 400,000 people signed up since the June primary.

Among the major aspects of the plan:

n Establish early voting periods starting ballot collections seven days before an election.

Under the current Democratic proposal, voters would be given the option of voting by paper ballot or machine during the early period, which was begin in many states following the contested 2000 presidential election.

n Consolidate the various elections held in the state into three separate election days and move the presidential primary up to February.

The move is aimed at avoiding the confusion caused by holding political, school, fire district elections and those in non-partisan municipalities on separate days throughout the year. It would consolidate all three elections into a May non-partisan election, June primary and November general contest; In presidential election years, a fourth primary would be held in February.

n Require all voting machines to be electronic and feature a paper recording of all votes cost;

The electronic machines now used throughout New Jersey do not log a paper count. Sponsors said a plug-in accessory available for $500 each would produce a vote log;

n Permit registered voters to cast ballots by mail in the 50 communities statewide with fewer than 1,500 residents;

n Give all voters access to paper absentee ballots without requirements they prove they are unable to reach polling places during the normal voting hours or that they are infirmed in order to secure the ballots.

"We are proposing to extend Election Day in New Jersey from 14 hours to seven days," said Assemblyman David Mayer, D-4 of Gloucester Township. "We have young families with two jobs. They have to pick children up from school. Get to extracurricular activities. They're having trouble voting."

The plan would also: push back registration deadlines from the current 30 days before an election to 15; create an advisory commission to oversee ways to improve elections; increase handicap accessibility at polling sites; require a"voters bill of rights" be posted at all election locations; standardize recount procedures, craft a central state database of voters; and streamline the process used to declare party affiliation.

Those who endorsed it included Attorney General Peter Harvey, the state's top election monitor, the New Jersey League of Municipalities and the League Of Women Voters.