Title 19, Title 19: ELECTIONS

19:44A-22 Violations; civil penalties; forfeiture. 22. a. (1) Except as provided in subsection e. or f., any person, including any candidate, treasurer, candidate committee or joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee, political party committ…

19:44A-22.1. Summary action by candidate, injunctive relief 24. If a political committee or continuing political committee, having been established or consisting of members or having received contributions in violation of this act, shall have made any contribution or expenditure …

19:44A-22.2. Findings, declarations relative to campaign advertisements 1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. in McIntyre v. Ohio, 63 U.S.L.W. 4279 (U.S. April 19, 1995) (No. 93-986), the United States Supreme Court invalidated, on First Amendment grounds, an Ohio statut…

19:44A-22.3 Communications financing, report to Election Law Enforcement Commission; violations, penalties; rules, regulations. 2. a. Whenever a candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee, independent expenditure committee…

19:44A-23. Construction of act This act shall be construed liberally to effectuate the legislative intent and as complete and independent authority for the performance of each and every act and thing herein authorized. L.1973, c. 83, s. 23, eff. April 24, 1973.

19:44A-24. Supersedure of inconsistent acts All acts and parts of acts, rules and regulations issued thereunder inconsistent in whole or in part with the provisions of this act are to such extent superseded. L.1973, c. 83, s. 24, eff. April 24, 1973.

19:44A-25. Severability If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence or other part of this act is adjudged unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of this act, but shall be confined in its effect to the section, subsectio…

19:44A-26. Repeals The following acts or parts of acts are repealed. a. R.S. 19:3-8, 19:34-36 and 19:34-37. b. Chapters 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes. c. P.L.1946, c. 152 (C. 19:41-4.1 and 19:41-4.2). L.1973, c. 83, s. 26, eff. April 24, 1973.

19:44A-27 Public policy. 2. It is hereby declared to be a compelling public interest and to be the policy of this State that primary election campaigns for the office of Governor and general election campaigns for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be financed …

19:44A-27.1 Ineligibility of certain candidates for public financing. 1. Whenever an individual who formed, assisted in the formation of, or was involved in any way in the management of: an issue advocacy organization organized under section 527 of the federal Internal Revenue Co…

19:44A-27.2. Rules, regulations concerning disclosures and organization 2. The Election Law Enforcement Commission shall adopt rules and regulations: a. to enable an organization described in section 1 of P.L.2001, c.20 (C.19:44A-27.1) to make the required disclosures; and b. to …

19:44A-28 Application of act. 3. The provisions of this act shall apply to the general election campaign for the office of Governor to be held in November, 1977 and to all subsequent primary election campaigns for the office of Governor and general election campaigns for election…

19:44A-29 Contribution limits, gubernatorial elections. 4. a. Except in the case of a candidate, as provided in subsection g. of this section, no person, candidate committee or joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee or legislative leadersh…

19:44A-29.1 Limits on contributions, expenditures. 6. For the purpose of contribution and expenditure limits established pursuant to P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-1 et seq.), limits on contributions to and expenditures of the joint candidates for election to the offices of Governor an…

19:44A-3 Definitions. 3. As used in this act, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: a. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1993, c.65.) b. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1993, c.65.) c. The term "candidate" means: (1) an individual seeking election to a public office of…

19:44A-3.1 Determination as to coordinated communication expenditure; criteria. 11. To determine whether a person, candidate committee, joint candidates committee, continuing political committee, or independent expenditure committee has made a coordinated expenditure with any can…

19:44A-30 Appropriations for fund for election campaign expenses. 5. The Legislature shall appropriate to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission out of the Gubernatorial Elections Fund established pursuant to N.J.S.54A:9-25.1 and available for appropriation from the f…

19:44A-32 Primary and general election bank accounts of candidates; deposits; expenditures; nonliability of banks. 7. a. Each candidate in the primary election to the office of Governor, shall, with the approval of the Election Law Enforcement Commission, create a bank account in…

19:44A-33 Public funding. 8. a. The campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of any qualified candidate for nomination for election to the office of Governor in a primary election upon application to the commission shall promptly receive in behalf of the qualified candidat…

19:44A-33.1. Substituted candidates for nomination for Governor, eligibility as qualified candidate 5. In the event that a certificate provided for in R.S.19:23-12 is filed for a candidate for nomination for election to the office of Governor, the candidate nominated in the certi…

19:44A-34. Separate bank accounts for other funds; disposition of contributions of political committees a. No contribution which must be or is intended by the contributor or the recipient to be refunded or repaid at any time, no loan obtained pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1974, c…

19:44A-35. Expenditures from fund for election campaign expenses; rules and regulations; purposes; return of unexpended funds a. All expenditures from the fund for election campaign expenses shall be made pursuant to rules and regulations of the Election Law Enforcement Commissio…

19:44A-36 Funds considered "spend in aid of the candidacy of any candidate or candidates." 11. Moneys received by any qualified candidate or candidates from the fund for election campaign expenses are to be considered "spent in aid of the candidacy of any candidate or candidates"…

19:44A-37 Statements from gubernatorial candidates; posting on websites. 12. The Election Law Enforcement Commission shall, on or before the forty-fifth day prior to the date on which the general election is to be held, supply each county clerk with the text of statements from ea…

19:44A-38. Rules and regulations The Election Law Enforcement Commission may adopt such rules and regulations as may be required to implement the provisions of this act and to carry out its purpose. L.1974, c. 26, s. 13, eff. May 6, 1974.

19:44A-4. Application of act The provisions of this act shall apply: a. (Deleted by amendment; P.L.1981, c. 151.) b. (Deleted by amendment; P.L. [1983], c. [579].) c. In any election at which a public question is to be voted upon by the voters of the State or any political subdiv…

19:44A-40. Violations; misdemeanor; forfeiture of office a. Any person who willfully and knowingly violates section 4, 9 or 10 of P.L.1974, c. 26 or section 17 of P.L.1980, c. 74 (C. 19:44A-18.1) is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree. b. The election to office of any candidat…

19:44A-41. Violations; fines; hearings; assessment of penalty a. Any person who willfully and knowingly violates sections 4, 6, 9, 10 or 19 of this act shall in addition to any other penalty provided by law, be liable to a penalty of not more than $1,000.00 for the first offense …

19:44A-42. Liberal construction of act The provisions of this act shall be construed liberally and applied so as to promote the purposes expressed herein. L.1974, c. 26, s. 17, eff. May 6, 1974.

19:44A-43. Severability If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence or other part of this act is adjudged unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of this act, but shall be confined in its effect to the section, subsectio…

19:44A-44 Borrowing by candidates. 19. Notwithstanding any provision of this act, any candidate in a primary election for the office of Governor, or his campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer, or any candidate in a general election for the offices of Governor and Lieuten…

19:44A-45 Interactive debates. 9. a. In any year in which a primary election is to be held to nominate candidates for the office of Governor, there shall be held among the several candidates for each such nomination a series of interactive gubernatorial primary debates, in which …

19:44A-46 Number of debates; timing, sponsorship. 10. a. The series of gubernatorial primary debates under subsection a. of section 9 of P.L.1989, c.4 (C.19:44A-45) shall consist of two debates. Each of the debates shall be of at least one hour's duration. The first debate in the…

19:44A-47 Repayment by debate non-participant. 11. The Election Law Enforcement Commission shall have the power and duty, upon receipt of a complaint against a candidate for nomination for election for the office of Governor or for election for the offices of Governor and Lieuten…

19:44A-5. "Election Law Enforcement Commission" established; membership details; allocation to Department of Law and Public Safety; independence. 5. a. There is hereby created a commission consisting of four members which shall be designated as the New Jersey Election Law Enforce…

19:44A-6 Appointment of officers, other employees; duties of ELEC. 6. a. The commission shall appoint a full-time executive director, legal counsel and hearing officers, all of whom shall serve at the pleasure of the commission and shall not have tenure by reason of the provision…

19:44A-6.1 ELEC, authority to issue certain advisory opinions. 32. The Election Law Enforcement Commission shall have the authority to issue such advisory opinions that relate to candidates for the office of Lieutenant Governor and regulations, including temporary regulations tha…

19:44A-6.2 Election Law Enforcement Commission, technical updates, database usability. 34. Within one year following the effective date of this act, P.L.2023, c.30 (C.19:44A-20.10a et al.), the Election Law Enforcement Commission shall make technical updates to its campaign contr…

19:44A-6a Enforcement action, statute of limitations. 35. Any enforcement action brought by the Election Law Enforcement Commission for any violations of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-1 et seq.) shall be subject to a statute of limitations of two years following the occurrence of the …

19:44A-7 Spending limits. 7. The amount which may be spent in aid of the candidacy of any qualified candidate for Governor in a primary election shall not exceed $7,300,000. The amount which may be spent in aid of the candidacy of any qualified joint candidates for Governor and L…

19:44A-7.1 Adjustment of limits. 19. a. For the purpose of ensuring the continuing adequacy of the limits set by law upon contributions, expenditures and certain other amounts relating to campaigns for nomination to the office of Governor and election to the offices of Governor a…

19:44A-7.2 Adjustment, amounts, offices other than Governor, Lieutenant Governor. 22. a. Not later than December 1, 2023 and every two years thereafter, the Election Law Enforcement Commission shall adjust the amounts, set forth in subsection b. of this section, which shall be ap…

19:44A-7.3 Adjustments, limits, contributions, office other than Governor, Lieutenant Governor; Report to Legislature. 2. a. No later than July 1, 2024 and every two years thereafter, the commission shall adjust the amounts, set forth in subsection b. of this section and applicab…

19:44A-8 Contributions, expenditures, reports, requirements. 8. a. (1) Each political committee shall make a full cumulative report, upon a form prescribed by the Election Law Enforcement Commission, of all contributions in excess of $200 in the form of moneys, loans, paid person…

19:44A-8.1 Submission, statement of registration, committee. 21. a. Each political committee, as defined in subsection i. of section 3 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-3), which aids or promotes the nomination for election or the election of a candidate or the passage or defeat of a p…

19:44A-9 Candidate, joint candidates committees; reports; requirements. 9. a. Unless already established, each candidate, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection c. of section 3 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-3), shall, no later than the date on which that candidate first receives…