Legislation advancing in Trenton would ensure temporary poll workers can earn up to $1,000 annually without affecting unemployment benefits or triggering payroll taxes.
TRENTON, N.J. — A bill moving through the New Jersey Legislature would exempt temporary poll worker earnings from unemployment compensation calculations and certain payroll taxes, a change supporters say could help counties recruit election workers.
Assembly Bill A1516 was reported favorably by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on June 8 with amendments that limit the exemptions to individuals earning no more than $1,000 annually from county election work.
Key Points
• A1516 would prevent qualifying poll worker wages from affecting unemployment benefits.
• Temporary election workers earning up to $1,000 annually would be exempt from unemployment, disability, and family leave insurance taxes.
• The bill was amended to cap eligibility for the exemptions at $1,000 in compensation per calendar year.
Election Worker Pay Exemptions Proposed
Under the legislation, services performed by temporary board workers hired by district boards of elections would be excluded from the definition of employment under New Jersey’s unemployment compensation law.
As a result, wages earned from qualifying election duties would not reduce or impact an individual’s unemployment compensation benefits.
The bill would also exempt those wages from unemployment insurance, temporary disability insurance, and family leave insurance payroll taxes.
Eligibility Limited to Lower-Paid Temporary Workers
Committee amendments added a cap limiting the exemptions to workers whose compensation from a county board of elections does not exceed $1,000 during a calendar year.
Workers receiving more than that amount would not qualify for the exemptions established by the bill.
Because the wages would not be subject to unemployment, disability, or family leave insurance contributions, the affected workers would also not be eligible to receive benefits through those programs based on the exempted earnings.
Committee Advances Measure
The Assembly Appropriations Committee approved the bill with the amended income threshold and a technical correction.
No fiscal estimate was available when the committee issued its statement. The legislation now continues through the legislative process for further consideration.
Election officials across New Jersey rely on thousands of temporary poll workers during primary, general, and special elections, with many positions filled by retirees, students, and residents seeking part-time civic employment.
