N.J.S.A. 19:31-16 — Data on eligible voters' deaths filed by health officer.

19:31-16 Data on eligible voters' deaths filed by health officer. 19:31-16. a. (1) Except as prescribed in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the health officer or other officer in charge of records of death in each municipality shall file with the commissioner of registration for the county in which the municipality is located once each month, during the first five days thereof, the age, date of death, and the names and addresses of all persons 18 years of age or older who have died within such municipality during the previous month. Within 30 days after the receipt of such list, the commissioner shall make and complete such investigation as is necessary to establish to his satisfaction that such deceased person is registered as a voter in the county. If such fact is so established, the commissioner shall cause the registration and record of voting forms of the deceased registrant to be transferred to the death file as soon as possible. If the deceased person was not so registered in the county, but the person maintained a residence in another county of this State, the officer in charge of records of death in the municipality in which the decedent died shall forward a copy of the notice of death to the officer in charge of records of death in the municipality in which the decedent resided. That officer having received the notice shall notify the commissioner of the county in which that municipality is located of the death of the person. Any commissioner who receives such notification shall undertake the procedures prescribed herein with respect to the registration in that county of the decedent. (2) During the two months immediately preceding a primary or general election, the health officer or other officer in charge of records of death in each municipality shall file with the commissioner of registration for the county in which the municipality is located once every two weeks, during the first three days thereof, the age, date of death, and the names and addresses of all persons 18 years of age or older who died within such municipality during the previous two weeks. Within 10 days after the receipt of such list, the commissioner shall undertake the procedures prescribed pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection. b. The State registrar of vital statistics shall file with the commissioner of registration of each county no later than May 1 of each year an alphabetized list of the name, address, and date of birth, if available, of each resident of the county 18 years of age or older who died during the previous year. Within 30 days after the receipt of the list the commissioner shall undertake and complete such investigation as is necessary to establish that each person on the list is not registered as a voter in the county. The commissioner shall cause the registration and record of voting forms of any deceased registrant found on the list to be transferred to the death file as soon as possible. Amended 1947, c.168, s.20; 1994, c.182, s.14; 1999, c.232, s.31; s.34; 2005, c.136, s.43; 2007, c.61, s.14; 2011, c.134, s.40; 2022, c.71, s.1. 19:31-16.1 Failure to furnish information on deaths, third degree crime. 32. a. Any State, county or municipal officer in charge of the records of death for the State, or a county or municipality thereof, who knowingly and willfully neglects, fails or refuses to prepare for or to file with the commissioner of registration of each county information regarding any resident of the county 18 years of age or older who died during the previous year, pursuant to R.S.19:31-16 as amended, or who died during the 40-year period prior to the enactment of P.L.1999, c.232, or who knowingly and willfully prepares or files such information about any resident of the county 18 years of age or older who died that is false, erroneous or incomplete, is guilty of a crime of the third degree. b. Any election official who knowingly and willfully neglects, fails or refuses to accept any information from a State, county or municipal officer in charge of the records of death for the State, or a county or municipality thereof, regarding any resident of the county 18 years of age or older who died during the previous year, as provided for by R.S.19:31-16 as amended, or who died during the 40-year period prior to the enactment of P.L.1999, c.232, or who knowingly and willfully neglects, fails, or refuses to conduct the investigation and transfer of the registration and records of any deceased registrant to the death file pursuant to R.S.19:31-16 as amended, is guilty of a crime of the third degree. As used in this subsection, "election official" shall include, but not be limited to, any superintendent or deputy superintendent of elections, commissioner of registration, or member or employee of a county board of elections. L.1999, c.232, s.32.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 19:31-16, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.