Who removed county clerks from the ballot bill?

There’s a new mystery to the latest version of the Assembly’s ballot design bill: who authorized the removal of the county clerk’s signature from the ballot.

Legislators from both sides told the New Jersey Globe that the Select Committee on Ballot Design never discussed or authorized the change, and it appears an unidentified staffer slipped the change in.

For nearly 100 years, the county clerk’s signature has been prominently displayed on the ballot. But a draft bill this week replaced it with the municipal clerk’s.

The panel is expected to rectify the issue when it meets on Monday and change the bill’s language to keep the clerk’s signature on the ballot, but it’s unclear if the unknown staffer will be identified.