19:17-3 Filing of statements.

19:17-3. After the district board shall have made up and certified such statements, it shall at the same time and with the ballot boxes, as hereinafter provided, deliver or safely transmit one of the statements to the clerk of the municipality wherein such election is held, who shall forthwith file the same. In counties having a superintendent of elections one of such statements shall forthwith be filed with the superintendent of elections of the county. The superintendent may arrange to accept such certificates in such municipality within the county at the office of the clerk of such municipality or some other convenient place. Any municipal clerk who shall refuse to permit such superintendent or his deputies or assistants access to his office for the purpose of collecting such certificates or any municipal clerk or other person who shall interfere or obstruct the superintendent, his deputies or assistants in the collection of such certificates, or any member of a district board who shall willfully fail or refuse to deliver such statement to the superintendent, his deputies or assistants as the case may be, shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree. In all counties the board shall, immediately after election, deliver or safely transmit another of the statements to the clerk of the county, who shall forthwith file the same.

For a school election a statement shall also be delivered to the board of education of the district holding the election and to the county superintendent of schools in the county in which the district is situated.

If officers were voted for or public questions were voted upon at the election by the voters of the entire State or of more than one county thereof, or of a congressional district, then the board shall, immediately after the election, inclose, seal up and transmit the fourth statement to the Attorney General by mail in stamped envelopes to be furnished by the Attorney General, addressing the same in the following manner: "To the Attorney General of New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey." Upon receiving such statements the Attorney General shall forthwith file the same in his office.

Amended 1945, c.76, s.2; 1947, c.168, s.6; 1953, c.19, s.19; 1995, c.278, s.19; 2005, c.154, s.4.