19:62-2 Election by mail, duties of county clerk.

2. If an election by mail is authorized pursuant to section 1 of this act, P.L.2005, c.148 (C.19:62-1), the county clerk shall:

a. publish, in advance of the election and pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of State, official notice that the election shall be conducted by mail together with such other information regarding the conduct of the election as shall be deemed necessary by the Secretary of State;

b. mail a ballot, including an outer envelope and an inner envelope substantially similar to the envelopes provided for mail-in ballots pursuant to sections 12 and 13 of P.L.2009, c.79 (C.19:63-12 and C.19:63-13), not sooner than the 20th day prior to the day of the election nor later than the 14th day prior to the day of the election, to each person registered to vote in the municipality at that election;

c. designate the county clerk's office or the municipal clerk's office as the places to obtain a replacement ballot pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2005, c.148 (C.19:62-5);

d. designate, after consultation with the county board of elections and pursuant to criteria established by the Secretary of State, places within the county or municipality that shall be available for the deposit of voted ballots for the election;

e. make a provisional ballot available at the office of the county clerk and the office of the municipal clerk so that each person who has been a resident of the county or municipality in which the person seeks to register and vote at least 21 days prior to the day of the election and has moved to a location within the municipality after that 21st day and prior to the day of the election may vote;

f. suspend distribution to each registered voter in the municipality of samples of the official ballot of any election, but distribute to each registered voter in the municipality with each ballot a copy of the voter information notice provided for in section 1 of P.L.2005, c.149 (C.19:12-7.1) as modified and supplemented by the Secretary of State as deemed appropriate for use in municipalities conducting elections by mail, and such instruction about the completion of the ballot as deemed necessary by the Secretary of State;

g. make certain that all qualified voters in the municipality requesting a mail-in ballot between the 45th day and the 21st day prior to the day of an election receive such ballot after the 20th day prior to the day of an election and voters requesting a ballot on or before the seventh day prior to the date of the election shall receive a ballot authorized pursuant to this section; and

h. establish, after consultation with the county board of elections and in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Secretary of State, the time by which all ballots must be received by the board on the day of an election to be considered valid and counted.

L.2005, c.148, s.2; amended 2009, c.79, s.36; 2011, c.37, s.29.