NJ S1484

Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court must annually assign at least three Superior Court judges to each of three geographic regions (Northern, Central, and Southern) to handle election recount and contest cases, with assignments due by the Tuesday after Columbus Day

Northern Region includes Hudson, Essex, Morris, Bergen, Passaic, Warren, and Sussex counties; Central Region includes Union, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset counties; Southern Region includes Burlington, Ocean, Camden, Atlantic, Cape May, Salem, Gloucester, and Cumberland counties

Judges assigned to regions act individually rather than as panels, with cases assigned to the next available judge in the region rather than being limited to judges from the specific county where the matter originated

All election recount and contest matters must be resolved before the winning candidate assumes office or the governing body reorganizes, with initial hearings required within 36 hours of filing

Chief Justice may consider population, historical recount volume, and voter turnout when determining judge assignments, and must publish regional assignments and judge names on the Judiciary Branch website