Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 19:31-16

  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of registration in counties. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Election: means the procedure whereby the electors of this State or any political subdivision thereof elect persons to fill public office or pass on public questions. See New Jersey Statutes 19:1-1
  • month: means a calendar month, and the word "year" means a calendar year. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
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.

L.1999,c.232,s.32; amended 2022, c.71, s.1.