HomeMy Public PortalAboutr 03:267No. 03~?67 Date of Adoptio~ 2003
RESOLUTION OF THE BOROUGH OF CARTERET COUNCIL
OPPOSING SENATE BILL NO. 2516 PROHIBITING THE USE OF
SCHOOLS AS POLLING PLACES.
WHEREAS, Senate Bill No. 2516 was introduced on May 15, 2003, and, if
adopted, would prohibit the usc of schools as polling places for any election; and
WHEREAS, currently, N.J.S.A 19-8-2 and N.J.S.A. 19-8-3 permit the use of
schoolhouscs and other public buildings as polling places, and the proposed S-
2516 would amend these statues to specifically prohibit the use of schoolhouses
from such use; and
WHEREAS, it is extremely difficult to locate polling places that meet the
accessibility requirements as well as all o1' the requirements of State law for
polling places; and
WHEREAS, if Senate Bil[ No. 2516 is adopted, and the Borough cannot use
schools as polling places, six of the Borough's polling places, which
accommodate 17 of the 19 districts in the Borough of Carteret, would be
eliminated completely; and
WHEREAS, there is no reason given in the Bill by the sponsor as to what it is
intended to address, yet the tremendous hardship that will be imposed by passage
of this Bill would be severe and would result in over-crowding at the existing
polling places, causing inability of residents to conveniently cast their ballots and
extreme difficulty for residents to exercise their constitutional right to vote; and
WHEREAS, if the location of polling places is not convenient to voters and
handicapped acccssible, thcre xvill certainly be a severe decrease in voter
participation in all elections, especially in school and primary elections, which
already historically have low voter turnout; and
WHEREAS, elimination of schools as permissible polling places would impose a
financial bm'den upon the Township in its effbrt to relocate these polling places,
causing, in essence, an unftmded mandate by the State of New Jersey, for which
the Borough would look to the State for a reimbursement for such increased costs;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED on this 4th day of September, 2003
by the Borough Council o£ the Borough of Carteret, County of Middlesex, State
of New Jersey that:
1. The Borough Council hereby strongly opposes passage of S-2516,
which would prohibit the use of Schools as polling places in any
clection and urges its elected representative to oppose same.
NO.. 03-267 PAGE_2 of 2
2. A certified copy of this Rcsolation be forwarded to Governor
Jamcs McGl-ecvey, Senator Joseph A. Palaia, sponsor of Senate
Bill ~/2516, Senator Joseph F. Vitale, Assemblywoman Arline
Friscia, Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, all the members of the
Senate State Government Committee, all municipalities in the
County of Middlesex and the New Jersey State League of
Manicipalities.
Adopted this 4th day of September, 2003
and certified as a true copy of the
original on September _5, 2003.
Linda Rivera
Assistant Municipal Clerk
RECORD ()F COUNCIL VOTE TL
NAPLES S ITARZ
PARISI SOSNOWSKI
X - lndicaie Vote AB - Abscn~ NV - Not Voting XOR - Indicates Vole ~o Overrulc Veto
Adopted at a meeting of file Municipal Council September 4 ~ 2003