Mr. NAPLES. Thank you.

Senator KEFAUVER. It is in a form that can be printed a little bit easier than these long pages.

Mr. NAPLES. Yes, sir.

Senator KEFAUVER. Proceed.

Mr. NAPLES. I sincerely believe that the Federal Government should now have a department whose duty would be to protect the rights of voters and to act as liaison between the Federal Government and the various States and to urge that legislation be adopted that would not deprive the people of their right to cast a ballot.

I say that because within my own State the attorney general's office, and in many instances the Attorney General's department of the Federal Government, has gone into various States to insist where violations have occurred that some remedies be made within the States.

I feel that if the Federal Government would take the initiative in asking the States to adopt uniform legislation, that some of these States would conform to the request that would be made.

In my own State, the attorney general's office in many instances, after investigations, has brought about many needed reforms within the county election board systems. And I feel that the only way that we can get this uniform procedure is through action taken by this body.

There must be some plan notwithstanding the fact that a resolution such as this would be enacted to give to people who are residents of States who apparently would not adopt legislation to conform to these requirements some method of casting a ballot in the presidential election. This could be similar to a Federal ballot which was used in 1944 by many persons in the Armed Forces who could not receive an absentee ballot from their respective States. Through some Federal agency with the enactment of this resolution, a program such as outlined above would give to people who seek a Federal ballot their rights of franchise, and after these ballots are tallied they would be added to the State totals.

In 1944 many States did not adopt an absentee ballot law, but there was a Federal ballot which was made available to the Armed Forces. In my own county of Mercer, we received approximately 300 Federal ballots that were added to the State totals for people in the military and who could not secure by application the State absentee ballot. And surely there must be some way that the Federal Government could establish a protective right on the part of many people who moved from State to State to secure a ballot and then, of course, the figures could be added to the tally of the State totals upon the completion of the election.

It seems to me that the only way that we could bring about this needed reform and to have every ballot cast would be with some plan of this character.

I am also attaching herewith a binder which is a record of the procedure adopted in the county of Mercer, in the State of New Jersey, in the office of which I am the director, wherein we have set forth many procedures in which we protect the right of a voter, some of which I shall enumerate here because of their importance, wherein we have set up a voter protection service. We have moving permit laws, we have post office lookup, and the procedure which you will see outlined in this binder contains the various forms which we submit that

bring about thousands of changes of residence of people who move from within the county and who move from outside of the county.

It enables us to follow up these voters to see that they are kept on the voting rolls.

With respect to my county, I can cite, and am proud of the fact, that since 1944 we have progressively increased our registration. In 1956 we had a registration of 128,000 and we increased it in an off year to 129,000, until in 1960 our registration reached the total of 139,000. This is only done through the service which the election board itself has maintained for the protection of the voter who moves from county to county.

To proceed: (1) Moving permit laws which are in effect in many municipalities and all municipalities who have such laws furnish a list monthly to the board of elections, which enables the office to send change of residence cards to protect these voters.

(2) A post office lookup on all sample ballots which have not been delivered wherein we secure a forwarding address which enables us to send a change of residence card, if the person who has moved still lives within the county, and a removal card if they have moved outside of the county.

Through these two procedures we receive approximately 10,000 to 12,000 changes annually and we estimate that at least half of these people would not execute their change were it not for this plan, and would lose their right to cast a ballot.

In the county of Hudson, I would say that probably four times as many people are handled through the same procedure, all through the mail.

We have provided for many years what we call a neighborhood or mobile registration wherein we take the facilities of the board of elections directly to the people in the area in which they live. This service is conducted at night so that no voter will have to take time from his or her employment to either register, change their residence or fulfill any other requirements under the Élection Act.

I have a copy of that mobile registration program which was in effect last year and which will be placed in effect this year, which I think counsel has, but here is an additional copy.

We do this job at night, so that no voter will be taken away from his or her employment, so that they can change their residence, register as new voters, or fulfill any other requirements that are made necessary under the Election Act.

I think sincerely that it is the duty of the election system to carry its facilities to the people. The primary purpose of a man or woman who casts a ballot is to earn their living. When they move they neglect sometimes to carry out the requirements that the law intends that they carry out.

After 40 years of political activity and 20 years in the office of the board of elections and having served on many study commissions, I

have come to the conclusion that one of the most progressive steps we could take is to bring about a uniform procedure in the conduct of all elections whether it be within the State or within the Nation. That is why I feel that the facilities of all election boards should be carried to the people and thus provide an important public service which will guarantee to all citizens the sacred right of casting their ballot.

With respect to Senate Joint Resolution 14

Senator KEFAUVER. That is by the chairman of this committee.
Mr. NAPLES. Yes.

With respect to Senate Joint Resolution 14, the residence requirement of 1 year would not accomplish the purpose intended of permitting people who move from one State to another to cast their ballot.

They should be given the right to cast their vote as long as they can prove by certification (that is the plan that the State of Ohio uses) that they were legally entitled to vote in the State where they formerly resided, and they should be privileged to vote only an absentee ballot for the Office of President and Vice President only.

I think that the yearly requirement is entirely too long because many people who move within the 4- or 5-month period or the 30-day period should have the right to cast a ballot for the Office of President of the United States.

Senator KEFAUVER. Senator Keating's resolution would limit residence requirements to 3 months. Do you think that is long enough or too long?

Mr. NAPLES. Three months would enable every election bureau to set up the proper facilities, because we must have our binders and our records such as our registration form which I will present here prepared by Election Day-as a matter of fact, 6 days before Election Day, when they are shipped out to the various municipalities and made ready for use by the district election boards.

I have here a copy of our permanent registration record form. I would like to produce this as part of the record for one specific reason. We have in New Jersey no literacy test. And many people who are unable to read and write cast a ballot. We do it through an identification statement which is taken at the time of the original registration. And this contains data which can never be disputed. So that when the person who is unable to read or write, where there can be no signature comparison, comes in, he must answer the questions which he was asked at his original time of registration, and if he fails to answer, the board will not permit him to vote.

I ask that this be made a part of the record because I think it is an ideal registration procedure which was set up in the State of New Jersey.

Senator KEFAUVER. Well, this is very useful and if the Government Printing Office can reproduce this in this type of record, we will have it printed in the printed record.