Lawmakers consider redesign of NJ ballots
Panel hearing focuses on primary election changes
By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... The Assembly Select Committee on Ballot Design presented and heard testimony this week [12/09/2024] about legislation related to how primary ballots will look in New Jersey moving forward.
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It was the sixth time the committee met since being formed in the spring after a pledge in March [2024] to consider redesigning New Jersey ballot after a federal lawsuit was brought by now Senator Andy Kim during his U.S. Senate run.
..... though the committee co-chairs said the lawsuit wasn't the sole reason for the meeting, Kim's initial suit was filed in February in U.S. District Court in Trenton and challenged the so-called "county line," the longstanding New Jersey ballot design that gave preferential placement to candidates backed by county political organizations.
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Much of the testimony forced on the idea of slogans and party designations being permitted on the ballots.
..... Henal Patel, the law and policy director for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, said that "we can no longer allow bad ballot siding to disenchant voters and suppress their vote and their voice," Committee co-chair Benjie Wimberly did say he expects to see some amendments to the bill but ultimately thinks it will be put before the committee for a vote Monday. [12/16/2024] "We've going to get input not only our senators, all of us represent a district with a senator, also leadership is listening and seeing the concerns of many of our expert people who testified today," [12/09/2024] he said.
..... As for the upper chamber, Senate President Nick Scutari said "we started talking about something but that's about it." New Jersey Working Families Party State Director Antoinette Miles said after the hearing hat it shouldn't be up to county party organizations to "call balls and strikes: on which candidate gets to use the party name and that portion of the bill should be addressed.
..... The bill requires primary election ballots to be arranged in office block format and establishes minimum uniform design features to be sued in designing ballots by county clerks.
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It also ban designs that separate candidates running for the same office, puts candidates with those running for a different office or awards ballot positions to a candidate based on the draw for another candidate. It leaves it up to county clerks to arrange and design the ballot in either landscape or portrait orientation.
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Clerks would be required to allow candidates for the same office with multiple open seats to associate in the same office block, using a common slogan or endorsement next to or below the associated candidate names.
..... There would be some restrictions though. Slogans or endorsements including the name of any political party would only be allowed with written consent of the respective county politician committee. slogans or endorsements can't use or refer to the name of any candidat4e appearing on the ballot in the same primary election for a different office. In March, [2024] Scutari, Assembly Leader John DiMaio issued a statement saying they were open to redesigning New Jersey ballots that give preferential position to candidates supported by county political machines.
..... They said they have "listened to the public debate" about the ballot design and there is a :longstanding precedent that the Legislation has the authority to determine the law regarding ballot design and the appropriate discretion sued by county clerks."
..... "We are committed to beginning a public process on ballot design in New Jersey, including a through and thoughtful review of other states, as well as a process that involves input from the public," the statement said.
..... U.S. District Judge Zabid Ouraishi ordered that the June Democratic primary use office-block-style ballots instead.
..... That order was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia.
..... In his preliminary opinion, Quraishi said he "recognizes the magnitude" of the discussion and that the "integrity of the democratic process for a primary election is at stake."