The New Jersey Election Law Revision Commission (ELRC) was a bipartisan panel established in 1964 to review all of the state's election laws and recommend ways to modernize them. New Jersey's election laws had not been overhauled since 1930. The ELRC eventually produced (1) an Initial Report in 1965 recommending the elimination of paper ballots, (2) an Interim Report in 1970 recommending reforms for campaign finance laws, and (3) a Final Report in 1975 recommending a comprehensive set of reforms to curb corruption by reducing complexity and centralizing oversight under an independent, bipartisan agency. Faced with political fallout from Watergate in 1974 and the conviction of several officials in NJ Governor William T. Cahill's administration in 1973, lawmakers reformed NJ's campaign finance laws, drawing on the 1970 Interim Report recommendations. However, when the Final Report's broader recommendations for modernizing the state's election laws were introduced in the General Assembly on April 21, 1975; lawmakers took no action. The bill failed to clear committee.
Former state senator William E. Schluter (Republican, former ELRC member) wrote in 2017, "Despite recommendations made by the Election Law Revision Commission in its 1975 report, and by numerous good government groups over the years, almost no serious measures for reform have been adopted into law....The New Jersey legislature seems intent on maintaining the status quo so that the system will continue to produce for the benefit of those who manage it."
Nearly 60 years earlier, the Courier-Post Editorial Board made a similar observation, "Adoption of a modern and workable election code is improbable unless the public demands it. Current practices and procedure serve the purposes of politicians too well to be altered without a struggle."
Milestones
1953 - The NJ Legislature passes Joint Resolution No. 14, creating an "Election Laws Study Commission" to determine how the state's election laws could be "simplified, correlated, and revised". The non-partisan panel produces a "Preliminary Report" calling for mandatory voting machines in all counties and the establishment of an elections enforcement board. 1961 - Assemblyman Raymond Bateman (Republican) introduces a bill calling for an overhaul of NJ election laws and establishing the ELRC. Governor Richard Hughes (Democrat) signs the Election Law Revision Commission Act (The Act - Chapter 81) into law. However, by 1963 the ELRC has no members and has made no recommendations. 1964 - Assembly Majority Leader Marion West Higgins (Republican) and Assemblyman Raymond Bateman (now Assistant Majority Leader) sponsor a bill to repeal and replace the 1961 Act. Signed into law, the Election Law Revision Commission Act (The Act - Chapter 29) restructures the ELRC. 1965 - The ELRC delivers its first recommendation, urging the legislature to mandate voting machines in all counties. The Assembly passes a voting-machine bill in 1965, but the Senate fails to approve it. 1966 and 1967 -The ELRC repeats its call for mandatory voting machines. Once again, the Legislature fails to act. Since the ELRC views mandatory voting machines as essential to any future reform measures, they produce no further recommendations. 1970 - Raymond Bateman (now State Senate President) introduces a bill to reorganize the ELRC, but called for an "Interim Report" on campaign finance reform. Governor William T. Cahill signs the bill into law but resulting legislation dies in committee. 1973 - William E. Schluter (State Senator and ELRC member, Republican) introduces a revised bill (S-1124). The New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Act (The Act - Chapter 83) revises NJ's campaign finance laws and establishes the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission for independent oversight.
1975 - ELRC Chairman William J. Dorgan (former Assemblyman, Republican) delivers the Final Report. A bill to implement the commission's recommendations (A.3334) is introduced in the Assembly but fails to clear committee. The report covers 10 areas: Electoral Supervision and Control (centralizing elections under the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission, the independent agency established in 1973) Financial Disclosures (aligning with prior campaign reform measures enacted in 1973) Party Organization The Right of Franchise Voting Systems and the Problems of Paper Ballots Election Recounts Expenses (for the administration of elections) Presidential Ballot Law (aligning with the Federal Voting Rights Act) Absentee Ballot Law Penalties (for violation of election laws)
1978 - Governor Brenden Byrne (Democrat) disbands the ELRC.