That design conferred an extreme advantage: Rutgers professor Julia Sass Rubin concluded that between 2002 and 2022, candidates on the county line enjoyed an average boost of 38 points.
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Andy Kim
Rep. Andy Kim’s Senate Bid Aims to Engage New Jersey’s Growing Asian American Voters
Julia Sass Rubin, a Rutgers professor whose research was instrumental in dismantling the party line system, stated, “I think the most immediate impact will be more people will run for office… I think we will see a much more diverse slate of candidates.”
New Jersey’s electoral process just got upended
Party leaders give preferential placement to their candidates. Those not on the county line are tucked away in obscure rows and columns. Julia Sass Rubin of Rutgers University
looked at 20 years of New Jersey races and found that the county line steered voters and helped preferred candidates by an average difference of 38%.
Julia Rubin and Rutgers Experts Make History on Party Line
“One of the impacts of the county line has been discouraging those who do not receive the party’s endorsement from running. Candidates understand that running off the line is ineffective so they tend to drop out if they are not selected for the line.”
Could the end of the NJ county line doom county political machines? Some wonder
“I think people will start to speak up and you’ll see more people entering contests,” said Julia Sass Rubin. “You will see more pushback … We’ll see more bravery.”
Abolishing the “Ballot Line” Will Reshape Progressive Politics
The state’s powerful political machines, which have dominated Garden State politics and dictated its policies for much of the last century, lost their most potent tool — the “county line” primary ballot.
Hudson County primary steps up as ‘county-line’ ruling sets in
“I think the voters are smart and they are discerning and we have to expect more of them,” said Julia Sass Rubin, an associate professor with Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. “We have to provide them with information to make those decisions. That’s something New Jersey really hasn’t done.”
New Jersey politics will never be the same – Opinion Rubin
The state’s powerful political machines, which have dominated Garden State politics and dictated its policies for much of the last century, lost their most potent tool — the “county line” primary ballot.
New Jersey Ballot Ruling Applies Only to Democratic Race, Judge Says
“It’s just a hiccup,” Dr. Rubin said. “If this decision holds, it will completely upend New Jersey politics.”
A judge’s decision is sending shockwaves through N.J., where politics is ruled by backroom deals
It’s called the “county line” — and it’s been the stuff of backroom Jersey politics that allowed party bosses to play an outsized role for decades in determining the winners and losers on election day. Now, a federal judge may have changed all of that with a 49-page ruling Friday that sent shockwaves through the state and could forever curb the power of those bosses.
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Ph.D. Colloquium: Writing, Fast and Slow
Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesPresented by Professor Michael Smart
Bildner Center: One Year after October 7: A Conversation with Miriam Herschlag
VirtualThe Ruth and Alvin Rockoff Annual Lecture Join a discussion between Miriam Herschlag, opinion and blogs editor for The Times of Israel, and Nancy Sinkoff, the Bildner Center’s academic director, […]
Career Services: Fall Networking Event
Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesJoin Bloustein alumni from urban planning, public policy, informatics, and health administration for a workshop on networking best practices, followed by open networking with Bloustein alumni, undergraduate and graduate students. […]
The Redevelopment Handbook: Book Launch, Symposium & Networking Reception
Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesLearn what’s new in the current edition and hear from planners and attorneys on the important issues and special topics in redevelopment today. The Redevelopment Handbook, co-authored by Stan Slachetka […]
Bloustein and New Brunswick: Beyond Civic Square– Historic Preservation and Redevelopment Walking Tour
Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesNew Brunswick, NJ has many architectural gems that often go unappreciated. The city has also experienced significant redevelopment and in tandem, historic preservation versus development challenges. This tour will consider […]