The Secretary of State will assume the responsibilities of New Jersey's Chief Election Official.

The legislation (S-2449/A-2929) - sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak (D-20), Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (D-34) and former Assemblyman William Payne (D-29) - was signed into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine on January 7, 2008.

Thirty-nine out of fifty states have their Division of Elections or equivalent within their Department of State. Originally the case in New Jersey, the Division was transferred to the Department of Law and Public Safety, under the auspices of the Attorney General, by then-Governor Christine Todd Whitman in 1998.

"This is a tremendous responsibility, and we welcome Elections back to Department of State with open arms," said Secretary Wells. "A smooth, progressive and successful election process is paramount to our standing as a state and as a nation, and I assure you it will be handled with the utmost attention and care. The people of New Jersey deserve nothing less."

A record number of New Jerseyans, nearly 1.7 million, cast ballots in the state's presidential primary in February, with far more expected for the general election in November.

"Since we have had three months to prepare for the transition, we anticipate a seamless transfer" added Wells.  "We have worked closely with Attorney General Anne Milgram and her excellent team, and are prepared to move the current election agenda forward. Our foremost priorities will be to combine and integrate Elections with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) unit, relocate both agencies to a common area to streamline efforts and maximize efficiency to ensure the accuracy of each and every vote."

In addition to overseeing the orderly conduct of elections, the Division of Elections is responsible for state and federal elective offices, state ballot questions and bond issues placed on the ballot. Additionally, the Division assists county election officials, county clerks and the public on matters of election administration and also certifies candidates for the ballot. Finally, it certifies and publishes election results, certifies voting machines and manages the state voter registration program to ensure compliance with the national Voter Registration Act of 1993.