Legal Research Home > New Jersey Lawyer > Elections > New Jersey Elections Laws Section 19:3-6. Form of public question; when question deemed approved; "legal voters" defined.

    Any public question voted upon at an election shall be presented in simple language that can be easily understood by the voter. The printed phrasing of said question on the ballots shall clearly set forth the true purpose of the matter being voted upon. Where the question concerns any amendment to the State Constitution, or any act or statute or other legal titles of any nature, the printed phrasing on the ballots shall include a brief statement interpreting same. In event that in any statute the public question to be voted upon is so stated as not clearly to set forth the true purpose of the matter being voted upon and no provision is made in said statute for presenting the same in simple language or printing upon the ballots a brief statement interpreting the same, there may be added on the ballots to be used in voting upon the question, a brief statement interpreting the same and setting forth the true purpose of the matter being voted upon in addition to the statement of the public question required by the statute itself.

    Such public question, when duly voted upon at an election, shall be deemed to be approved when that percentage of the legal voters of the State or any subdivision thereof as required by the statute authorizing the proposal of such public question shall vote in favor of its adoption.

    For the purpose of this Title it is hereby declared that the intent and meaning in any such statute of the words "legal voters" are persons entitled to vote, and who do vote, at the time and in the manner prescribed in and by such statute upon the public question submitted; and for the purpose of ascertaining what is the percentage of the legal voters of any district defined in such statute, upon the public question therein directed to be submitted, the persons who do not vote at such election, the persons who do not vote upon the public question and the persons whose ballots may be declared invalid, shall not be estimated, counted or considered.

     Amended by L.1938, c. 308, p. 706, s. 1; L.1941, c. 170, p. 543, s. 1.

Last modified: October 21, 2006