44:1-24.2. Chief administrative officer of county welfare agencies or boards of social services; duties

9. The superintendent, director or other chief administrative officer of each county welfare agency or county board of social services shall:

a. cause copies of the voter registration forms furnished under subsection f. of section 16 of P.L.1974, c.30 (C.19:31-6.4) and the declination form provided for in subsection b. of section 26 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.19:31-6.11) to be distributed at the offices of the agency or board to each person appearing in person at that location to apply for services under any program administered by the office or to seek a recertification, renewal or change of address relative to the assistance provided at such office. An employee of the office shall inquire of every such person whether the person, if not already registered to vote from the place of his or her present residence, wishes to be so registered and shall inform the person that whether or not the applicant chooses to register will not affect the person's eligibility for those services. The employee shall subsequently review the forms to determine whether or not the applicant wishes to register to vote. If the person does not wish to register, the employee shall provide the person with any assistance necessary to complete the declination form and then inform the person that the form will be retained by the employee. If the applicant wishes to register, the employee shall provide the person with any assistance necessary in completing the voter registration form; shall inform the person that the person may leave the completed form with the employee or mail it personally to the Secretary of State; and, if the person chooses to leave the form, shall accept the completed form, stamp or otherwise mark the lower right hand corner of the document with the date on which it was so received, and forward it to the county commissioner of registration. The employee shall provide to each applicant who does not decline to register to vote the same degree of assistance with regard to the completion of the voter registration form as is provided by the division with regard to the completion of its own forms, unless the applicant refuses such assistance;

b. provide for the continuous supply of the forms and instructions specified in subsection a. of this section to every office of the agency or board;

c. provide the forms and instructions specified in subsection a. of this section in both the English and Spanish languages to the location in the case of any office on aging which is located in any county in which bilingual sample ballots must be provided pursuant to R.S.19:14-21, R.S.19:49-4 or section 2 of P.L.1965, c.29 (C.19:23-22.4);

d. provide for the collection of completed voter registration forms by any employee of the office and for the transmittal of the forms to the county commissioner of registration or the Secretary of State;

e. provide that the forms, instructions and assistance specified in subsection a. of this section shall be provided to any applicant with a disability who receives assistance or services at that person's home from an agent or employee of the agency or board;

f. inform each agent or employee of the agency or board who assists in registering a person to vote that that agent or employee shall not:

(1) seek to influence an applicant's political preference or party registration;

(2) display any such political preference or party allegiance;

(3) make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to discourage the applicant from registering to vote; or

(4) make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to lead the applicant to believe that a decision to register or not to register has any bearing on the availability of services or benefits; and

g. make certain that no information relating to a declination to register to vote by an individual in connection with any type of application for service made by that individual at an office of the agency or board is used for any purpose other than voter registration.

L.1991,c.318,s.9; amended 1994,c.182,s.21.