Video: Prof. Julia Sass Rubin explains how NJ primary ballots with “county lines” lead to unfair advantages

November 29, 2023

A new report from Rutgers University examines how New Jersey’s unique primary ballots with their “county lines” affect election outcomes and how that impacts the state’s political system. The placement of county political parties’ preferred candidates is translating into favorable outcomes as a result of the design of the state’s ballot system, according to the report published in the Seton Hall Law Review.

“It’s not just that you have a good ballot position, which you do on the county line,” said Julia Sass Rubin, the Rutgers report’s chief author. “It’s also that everyone else has a pretty bad ballot position… And there’s no other states that do things this way.”

Winning the “party line” or “county line” has become a contentious battle in New Jersey’s state and local politics, becoming a game of backroom dealing with closed-door endorsements of a candidate by county leaders.

“This is a sophisticated form of voter suppression,” said Henal Patel, director of law and policy at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Recent Posts

Dan Kennedy (MCRP ’07): CRE Roadmap for Next Governor

As New Jersey prepares to elect its next governor, NAIOP NJ, the commercial real estate development association, has published a comprehensive roadmap for economic revitalization and sustainable development for the consideration of both candidates for governor. As a...

“Work Trends RU” Podcast with WorkingNation’s Jane Oates

This week's guest on the Heldrich Center's Work Trends RU podcast is Jane Oates, Senior Policy Advisor at WorkingNation. She and Dr. Carl Van Horn discuss WorkingNation’s mission, objectives, and accomplishments; the power of digital storytelling; the challenges of...

Zhang et al. Study Street-View Greenspace and Exercise

GPS-based street-view greenspace exposure and wearable assessed physical activity in a prospective cohort of US women Abstract Background Increasing evidence positively links greenspace and physical activity (PA). However, most studies use measures of greenspace, such...

NJSPL: Some College, No Credential Population in NJ

Overview of the Some College, No Credential Population and Educational Outcomes in New Jersey, 2023–2024 New Jersey State Policy Lab Supporting New Jersey residents in returning to college after leaving without a credential has been an increasing focus of the state’s...

Loh and Noland Explore Public Charging Station Disparities

Equal charging for all: Are there income-based disparities in public charging stations? Abstract We compare charging station accessibility for different income groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. Using a microsimulation model, we estimate charging station...