New Jersey Statutes 19:32-10. Preparation of challenge lists
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 19:32-10
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Commissioner: means the commissioner of registration in counties. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
- District board: means the district board of registry and election in an election district. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
- Election: means the procedure whereby the electors of this State or any political subdivision thereof elect persons to fill public office or pass on public questions. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
- Election district: means the territory within which or for which there is a polling place or room for all voters in the territory to cast their ballots at any election. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
- General election: means the annual election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and, where applicable, includes annual school elections and annual fire district elections held on that date. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
- person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
- Special election: means an election which is not provided for by law to be held at stated intervals. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
- State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
- Superintendent: means the superintendent of elections in counties wherein the same shall have been appointed. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
After the last day of registration and before each general, primary, municipal and special election, the superintendent shall also prepare for each election district a challenge list containing the names, alphabetically arranged, and addresses of all persons registered in the district whom he believes or has reason to suspect are not entitled to vote at the election in the district. Such challenge list shall be delivered to the respective district boards at least one-half hour before the opening of the polls at each election. The chairman of the respective district boards shall challenge the vote of any person presenting himself to vote under any name on the challenge list. The challenge list shall contain a column headed “remarks,” and the chairman of the respective district boards shall enter therein opposite the names on such list whether any person applying to vote under any name thereon who was challenged was allowed to vote, and the reason for allowing him to vote.
All persons whose names appear on any challenge list before being allowed to vote shall subscribe to an affidavit on forms supplied by the superintendent to the respective district boards together with the challenge list. Any members of the district boards are hereby empowered to take such affidavits. The affidavit shall show that the affiant is eligible to vote in that district and shall set forth the place of his residence, the fact that he actually resides at that place, the length of time of such residence, and also all the facts necessary to qualify him as a voter under the constitution of this State. A copy of the affidavit signed by the challenged voter shall be given to the affiant. At the close of the polls the affidavits shall be returned to the superintendent in an envelope provided therefor and they shall be preserved in the office of the superintendent.
If a person applying to vote under any name on the challenge list is challenged and does not vote, there shall be entered opposite his name in such column the words “challenged, but did not vote.” If no person applies to vote under any name on such challenge list, there shall be noted opposite each such name in such column the words “no application.” At the close of the polls the challenge list shall be signed and certified as true by each member of the respective district boards and returned to the superintendent of the county in a sealed envelope provided therefor.
If a person applying to vote is challenged and denied the right to vote because that person’s name appears on a challenge list prepared by the superintendent of elections, that challenged voter may apply to a Superior Court judge sitting at the county seat for permission to vote, as provided in R.S.19:32-18.
The superintendent, concurrently with delivering the challenge lists, shall deliver to the commissioner a true copy, certified by him as correct, of each challenge list delivered by him pursuant to this section to each district board in municipalities having permanent registration.
The superintendent shall prepare duplicates of all challenge lists provided for in this section, and shall keep duplicate challenge lists on file in his office from the time of their preparation until the close of the third general election following their preparation. The original challenge lists shall also be kept on file for two years after the general election following their preparation. All such challenge lists shall be open to inspection by any citizen at any time the superintendent’s office is open for business.
Amended 1991,c.249,s.7.