---
type: "Bill"
title: "Allows county boards of elections to expand staff and appoint clerk within county budgetary requirements."
description: "Allows county boards of elections to expand staff and appoint clerk within county budgetary requirements."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "219"
identifier: "A 5816"
citation: "New Jersey A 5816 (219)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["COUNTIES", "ELECTIONS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Lagana, Joseph A.", "Speight, Shanique", "Swain, Lisa", "Tully, P. Christopher"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 10
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-06-01T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-08-24T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fffdfa62-fcde-427a-bd91-916d8ae789a9"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "6539969bbe50afab6f1a40a6ae97577147c9717abbedc9beee5bc55a2fa6bb77"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey A 5816 (219) — Allows county boards of elections to expand staff and appoint clerk within county budgetary requirements.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A9999/5816_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A9999/5816_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported favorably out of committee — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **71–1** (pass) · lower
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported out of Assembly committee with amendments — **10–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Lagana, Joseph A. — primary (person)
- Speight, Shanique — primary (person)
- Swain, Lisa — primary (person)
- Tully, P. Christopher — primary (person)
- Downey, Joann — cosponsor (person)
- Houghtaling, Eric — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-06-01T04:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2021-06-16T04:00:00+00:00** Transferred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-16T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2021-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (71-1-0) `passage`
- **2021-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Transferred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** Substituted for S3848 (1R)
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) (40-0) `passage`
- **2021-08-24T04:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2021, c.205. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fffdfa62-fcde-427a-bd91-916d8ae789a9`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).