2. Once the office of superintendent of elections and the office of deputy superintendent of elections has been abolished in a county pursuant to P.L.2018, c.163 (C. 19:32-54 et al.), the county shall not be permitted to re-establish the offices and return to them the functions, powers, and duties provided by law until the following requirements have been met in the following order:

a. at least five years shall have passed since the offices were abolished;

b. a new ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, providing for the re-establishment of the office of superintendent of elections and the office of deputy superintendent of elections, and the return of the functions, powers, and duties of each office provided by law from the county board of elections, shall be adopted by the county’s governing body and a certified copy of the ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, together with a tally of the vote to adopt it, shall be filed with the Secretary of State within 10 days after the adoption;

c. a written report shall be prepared for the secretary that:

(1) explains why the governing body of the county believes the re-establishment of the office of superintendent and the office of deputy superintendent is necessary;

(2) presents a plan for how the offices shall be re-established and shall work in conjunction with the county clerk and the county board of elections; and

(3) includes the financial information necessary to prove that re-establishing the offices shall improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of:

(a) operating and administering State, county, school, municipal, special, and federal elections;

(b) maintaining and distributing voting machines; and

(c) overseeing the administration of voter registration in the county; and

d. the re-establishment of the office of superintendent of elections and the office of deputy superintendent of elections shall be approved by the secretary after the secretary has had a maximum of 90 days to review the report. The secretary shall be authorized to receive answers to such questions that the secretary deems necessary to ask to ensure that the operation and administration of elections, maintenance and distribution of voting machines, and administration of voter registration shall be conducted by the county in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.

In the event that the secretary decides that the office of superintendent of elections and the office of deputy superintendent of elections should be re-established in a county, qualified individuals to serve in each office shall be appointed as provided by law and the functions, powers, and duties of the offices shall be re-established within one year after the secretary’s decision.

L.2018, c.163, s.2.