N.J. Admin. Code § 19:25-15.50

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 19:25-15.50 - Application to sponsor debates for the offices of Governor and of Lieutenant Governor

(a) To be eligible for selection by the Commission to sponsor one or both of the interactive general election debates for the office of Governor, or the debate for the office of Lieutenant Governor, an organization:

1. Must be unaffiliated with any political party or with any holder of or candidate for public office;

2. Must not have endorsed any candidate in the pending general election for the offices of Governor and of Lieutenant Governor and must agree not to make any such endorsement until the completion of any debate sponsored by the organization; and

(b) Any association of two or more separately owned news publications or broadcasting outlets, including newspapers, radio stations or networks, and television stations or networks, having between or among them a substantial readership or audience in this State, and any association of print or broadcast news or press service correspondents having among them a substantial readership or audience in this State, shall be eligible to sponsor any such gubernatorial general election debate.

(c) Written applications by organizations to sponsor one or both of the general election debates for the office of Governor, or the debate for the office of Lieutenant Governor, shall be submitted to the Commission on a form provided by the Commission not later than July 1 of any year in which a general election is held for the office of Governor. The written application shall set forth the following information:

1. The time and date of broadcast of the debate or debates;

2. The specific television and radio stations and other media outlets which have committed to air, broadcast, or simulcast the debate or debates, and the specific New Jersey counties and number of households reached by those specific television and radio stations and other media outlets;

3. The specific television and radio stations and other media outlets which have committed to rebroadcast the debate or debates, and the specific dates and times of such rebroadcast;

4. The location of the debate or debates, and a description of the building or facility including legal seating capacity and accessibility for persons with physical disabilities;

5. A specific description of the format of the debate or debates, including plans for interactive exchanges among the candidates and opportunities for the public to direct questions to the candidates;

6. Specific plans to disseminate information to the public concerning the date, time, location, and media outlets airing or broadcasting the debate or debates;

7. Specific plans, including plans for newspaper advertisements, to disseminate information to the public concerning the date, time, location, and media outlets airing or broadcasting the debate or debates;

8. Plans for accessibility of the debate or debates to hearing-impaired persons in the broadcast audience;

9. Arrangements for a debate moderator or moderators; and

10. Sources of financial support to the organization to underwrite costs associated with the debate or debates.

(d) If the applicant anticipates the presence of an audience at the debate or debates, the written application shall in addition to the information required under (c) above, set forth the following information:

1. The number of persons expected in the audience;

2. The method to be used to select the audience, including information on distribution of tickets;

3. Plans for interaction between the candidates and the audience; and

4. Plans for accessibility of the debate to hearing-impaired members of the audience.

(e) If the applicant anticipates imposing an admission fee or ticket price for attendance at the debate, the application shall state the amount of the admission fee or ticket price and include an explanation of why such an admission fee or ticket price is being charged.

N.J. Admin. Code § 19:25-15.50

New Rule, R.1989 d.341, effective 6/5/1989.
See: 21 N.J.R. 1109(a), 21 N.J.R. 1837(a).
Rule formerly at this cite was recodified to N.J.A.C. 19:25-15.62.
Amended by R.1993 d.207, effective 5/17/1993.
See: 25 N.J.R. 910(a), 25 N.J.R. 1994(a).
Revised (a) and (a)3; added new (b); redesignated existing (b) to (c).
Amended by R.1996 d.583, effective 12/16/1996.
See: 28 N.J.R. 4395(b), 28 N.J.R. 5199(a).
Added (c)1 through (c)3.
Amended by R.1999 d.300, effective 9/7/1999.
See: 31 N.J.R. 1446(a), 31 N.J.R. 2627(b).
Rewrote (c); and added (d) and (e).
Amended by R.2000 d.322, effective 8/7/2000.
See: 32 N.J.R. 1291(a), 32 N.J.R. 2930(a).
Amended by R.2004 d.400, effective 10/18/2004.
See: 36 N.J.R. 2985(a), 36 N.J.R. 4837(a).
In (c), rewrote 2 through 10.
Administrative correction.
See: 40 N.J.R. 6866(a).
Amended by R.2012 d.172, effective 10/15/2012.
See: 44 N.J.R. 1593(a), 44 N.J.R. 2380(a).
Section was "Application to sponsor debates". In the introductory paragraph of (a), deleted "gubernatorial" preceding "general" and inserted "for the office of Governor, or the debate for the office of Lieutenant Governor,"; in (a)2, substituted "offices of Governor and of Lieutenant Governor" for "office of Governor"; deleted (a)3; in (b), deleted ", without regard to whether that association or any of its members shall previously have sponsored any debate among candidates for Statewide office" from the end; and in the introductory paragraph of (c), deleted "gubernatorial" preceding the first occurrence of "general" and substituted "debates for the office of Governor, or the debate for the office of Lieutenant Governor," for "debate".