N.J. Stat. tit. 19, ch. 45

N.J. Stat. tit. 19, ch. 45
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-1 Payable by state and political subdivisions

All general elections, special elections, municipal elections, primary elections for general elections and primary elections for delegates and alternates to national conventions held in the state or in any of its political subdivisions shall be conducted at the expense of the state or its political subdivisions.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-1.1 State to pay all expenses

Notwithstanding the provisions in chapter 45 of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes to the contrary, the State shall pay all expenses incurred by any of its political subdivisions in connection with any special election held for the purpose of filling a vacancy occurring in the Senate or General Assembly. When such a special election has been held, the Secretary of State shall notify all affected political subdivisions that the State shall pay all expenses incurred in connection with that election. L. 1981, c.429, s. 7; amended by L. 1987, c. 253, s. 1.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-2 Expenses borne by State

All costs, charges and expenses incurred by the State Board of Canvassers, Secretary of State or any other officer or official of the State government in carrying out any provisions of this Title shall be paid by the State. Amended by L. 1987, c. 151, s. 1.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-3 Expenditures by attorney general to prosecute violations of title

The attorney general is hereby authorized to expend annually, under the direction and with the approval of the governor, a sum not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars, for the purpose of securing evidence of violations of this title and assisting in the prosecution of such violations, when such sum shall be regularly appropriated in any annual or supplemental appropriation bill.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-4 County's expenses

All costs, charges and expenses incurred by the county clerk, county board, commissioner, superintendent, or any other officer or official of a county in carrying out the provisions of this title and the salaries of the members of the county board, commissioner, superintendent, salaries and compensation for extra service of the clerk and other employees of the county board and the compensation of the members of the district boards, except as herein otherwise provided, shall be paid by the county upon certification by the county clerk, county board, commissioner, superintendent or other county officer or official; but the board of chosen freeholders of any county, to facilitate the prompt payment of the compensation of members of district boards and the rental of polling places, is authorized to pay to the several municipal clerks in the county one payment for the gross amount due for such compensation and rentals in the municipality and direct the municipal clerks to pay the individual amounts due the members of the district boards and the lessors of the polling places in the municipality upon the proper certification of the county board. Where any municipality may provide voting machines there shall be paid by the county to such municipality the difference between the costs, charges and expenses incurred and the costs, charges and expenses which would have been incurred had such voting machines not been provided by such municipality, including the saving in rental of polling places and in compensation paid to members of district boards resulting from consolidation of or reduction in number of election districts, and including the saving resulting from the payment of a lesser rate of compensation to members of district boards where such machines are provided by the municipality.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-5 Municipality's expenses

All costs, charges and expenses incurred by the municipal clerk or any other officer or official of a municipality in carrying out the provisions of this title shall be paid by such municipality except as herein otherwise provided. Where any election is held in and for a municipality only, all costs, charges and expenses, including the compensation of the members of the district boards of the municipality and the compensation and expenses of the county board and the clerk thereof, for such elections, shall be paid by the municipality.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-6 Members of district boards; compensation.

19:45-6. The compensation of each member of the district boards for all services performed by them under the provisions of this Title shall be as follows: In all counties, for all services rendered including the counting of the votes, and in counties wherein voting machines are used, the tabulation of the votes registered on the voting machines, and the delivery of the returns, registry binders, ballot boxes and keys for the voting machines to the proper election officials, $300 each time the primary election, the general election or any special election is held under this Title; provided, however, that: a. (1) The member of the board charged with the duty of obtaining and signing for the signature copy registers shall receive an additional $12.50 per election, such remuneration being limited to only one board member per election, or $6.25 to each of two board members if they share such responsibility for the signature copy registers, and (2) the member of the board charged with the duty of returning the signature copy registers shall receive an additional $12.50 per election, such remuneration being limited to only one board member per election, or $6.25 to each of two board members if they share such responsibility for the signature copy registers; b. In the case of any member of the board who is required under R.S.19:50-1 to attend in a given year a training program for district board members, but who fails to attend such a training program in that year, that compensation shall be commensurate with the State minimum wage for each of those elections; c. In counties wherein voting machines are used no compensation shall be paid for any services rendered at any special election held at the same time as any primary or general election. Such compensation shall be in lieu of all other fees and payments; and d. Compensation for district board members serving at a school election held at a time other than the time of the general election shall be paid by the board of education of the school district conducting the election at an hourly rate commensurate with the State minimum wage, except that the board of education may compensate such district board members at a pro-rated hourly rate consistent with the daily rate up to a maximum of $21.43. The provisions of subsections a., b., and c. of this section shall also apply to district board members serving at a school election held at a time other than at the time of the general election, except that in the case of subsection b., the compensation shall be at an hourly rate commensurate with the State minimum wage. In addition to the $300 compensation provided pursuant to this section to each member of a district board for each time the primary election, the general election, or any special election is held under this Title, a county may provide, at its discretion, additional compensation to the members of all district boards in such county in an amount determined by the county, and the additional compensation shall be an expense of the county. Compensation due each member shall be paid within 30 days but not within 20 days after each election; provided, however, that no compensation shall be paid to any member of any such district board who may have been removed from office or application for the removal of whom is pending under the provisions of R.S.19:6-4. In addition to the provisions of this section, in the case of any member of the board who is required under R.S.19:50-1 to attend in a given year a training program for district board members, a county may provide, at its discretion, compensation to such a member who attends the training program in an amount determined by the county, and the compensation shall be an expense of the county. amended 1941, c.275, s.9; 1944, c.152; 1946, c.261, s.8; 1952, c.97; 1953, c.88; 1954, c.15; 1955, c.33; 1960, c.128; 1972, c.155; 1980, c.111; 1984, c.9; 1987, c.151, s.2; 1995, c.193, s.1; 1995, c.278, s.21; 1997, c.48; 2001, c.15; 2001, c.245, s.9; 2005, c.136, s.48; 2011, c.134, s.45; 2011, c.202, s.32; 2022, c.5, s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-6.1 Voucher for compensation

A voucher for compensation for services rendered by members of any district board of elections in this State for performing any of the services mentioned in section 19:45-6 of the Revised Statutes shall be submitted to the respective county boards of elections on a form prepared by said county boards of elections. This form shall contain a written declaration to be signed by the individual members of the district board of elections, in lieu of any requirement elsewhere for an oath or affirmation, in which such district board members shall state "I hereby declare under the penalties for false swearing that this voucher is for services performed by me for the election herein mentioned and to the best of my knowledge and belief is true, correct and complete." Any individual who willfully makes and subscribes any such voucher which he or she does not believe to be true and correct as to every material matter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon certification by the county board of elections as correct such vouchers shall be paid by the county treasurer in the manner provided in section 19:45-4 et seq. of the Revised Statutes. L.1952, c. 62, p. 384, s. 1.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-6.2 Reimbursement to county from State for certain costs.

6. In accordance with the provisions of Art.VIII, Sec.II, par.5 of the Constitution, upon application for reimbursement by a county governing body to the Secretary of State and approval of the application by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, a county shall be reimbursed by the State for: a. compensation to each member of the district board of elections who shall have served at the general election, the primary election, and any nonpartisan municipal, special, or recall election, and who shall have qualified for and been paid $300 for such service in accordance with R.S.19:45-6, the sum of $225; and b. any additional costs incurred by the county as a result of the provisions of this act, P.L.2001, c.245. L.2001,c.245,s.6; amended 2022, c.5, s.2.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-7 Members of county boards; commissioner of registration; compensation.

19:45-7. The compensation of the members of the several county boards shall be no less than the minimum salary and no more than the maximum salary as follows: Minimum Maximum County Population Salary Salary Over 550,000 $8,700 $17,600 300,000 to 550,000 $6,000 $15,000 150,000 to 300,000 $4,500 $12,000 120,000 to 150,000 $3,700 $11,000 Under 120,000 $3,200 $10,500 provided, however, that any increases herein granted shall be effected only upon the approval of the governing body in the county affected. The compensation fixed and determined under any of the foregoing classifications shall include all services rendered by any county board in conducting all elections, and in connection with any recount or recheck after any such election. The members of the county board in counties other than counties of the first class and in counties of the first class not having a superintendent of elections who shall be elected as chairman and secretary thereof and who shall perform the duties of chairman and secretary thereof shall each receive an additional compensation of one-half of the compensation of the individual members of the board. The commissioner of registration in a county of the first class having a superintendent of elections shall receive such salary per annum as the governing body of such county may by resolution authorize, but not less than $10,000, for services performed as such commissioner of registration, and the commissioner of registration in a county of the second class having a superintendent of elections shall receive such salary per annum as the governing body of such county may by resolution authorize, but not less than $2,500 for services performed as such commissioner of registration, and for such services performed by a commissioner of registration in a county not having a superintendent of elections additional compensation shall be paid to such commissioner in an amount equal to 50% of his salary as member and secretary of the county board. In counties of the second class and in counties of the first class not having a superintendent of elections where a member of the county board serves as commissioner of registration, he shall receive no additional compensation for the performance of his duties as such commissioner unless he shall devote his full time to the performance of his duties as member of the county board, secretary thereof, and commissioner of registration. "Full time" as here used means such time as is duly required of employees in the office of the county board. Notwithstanding the above, the commissioner of registration in a county having a superintendent of elections, upon the approval of the governing body of the county, shall receive a salary not less than the maximum which the secretary of a county board of elections in a county of the same class, not having a superintendent of elections, would receive for performing the duties of secretary and commissioner of registration. This minimum does not reduce the current base salary for any superintendent who also serves as commissioner of registration. Amended 1940, c.165, s.4; 1941, c.324; 1944, c.178; 1947, c.168, s.23; 1948, c.183; 1951, c.268; 1957, c.83, s.2; 1958, c.136; 1961, c.59, s.5; 1965, c.50, ss.1,2; 1975, c.256, s.2; 1980, c.186; 1981, c.462, s.27; 1989, c.160, s.4; 1998, c.91, s.3.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-8 Compensation of judges holding court

Each of the judges holding court, as herein required, shall be entitled to receive the sum of twenty dollars for each day he shall be personally present, pursuant to the provisions of this title, in addition to the salary to which he is now entitled by law, which sum shall be paid by the treasurer of the county as other court expenses are paid.

N.J. Stat. § 19:45-9 Compensation of county and municipal clerks

The boards of chosen freeholders in the several counties may pay the county clerks for extra duties and services imposed upon and performed by them under this title an amount to be fixed by such boards. The governing bodies of the several municipalities may pay the municipal clerks for extra duties and services imposed upon and performed by them under this title an amount to be fixed by such governing body.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026

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