NJ’s party bosses control the primary ballots, giving their preferred candidates the top spot. Advocates, candidates and now lawmakers want that changed. Julia Sass Rubin, a professor at Rutgers University who researches New Jersey’s electoral system, has found that...
Topic
ballot
Addressing voter turnout in Black and brown communities
Some advocates say systemic issues can prevent NJ residents, especially in Black and Brown communities, from exercising their right to vote. Professor Julia Sass Rubin's research showing New Jersey is the only state with the line is discussed. NJ Spotlight News, May...
Voter suppression by another name
In a study published by New Jersey Policy Perspective, Rutgers Professor Julia Sass Rubin analyzed New Jersey’s 2020 primaries. She concluded that “structuring ballots around the county line impact election outcomes by steering voters toward specific candidates. The...
NJ ballot design gives huge advantage to party-backed candidates, paper finds
When Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise ran for a fifth term in 2019, he had every advantage over his sole primary challenger, Patricia Waiters. DeGise, a Democrat, had higher name recognition, tens of thousands more in campaign dollars and endorsements from every...
Analysis finds ‘county line’ gave huge advantage to New Jersey congressional candidates
New Jersey’s dominant primary ballot structure, known as the “county line,” provided a huge advantage to many party-backed candidates in last month’s primary and in some cases resulted in voter confusion and tossed-out votes, according to an analysis by a Rutgers...
Study: NJ’s Primary Ballot Favored Insider Candidates
Insider candidates and the politically connected benefited from the layout of New Jersey’s primary ballot in July, according to a new study released Thursday. New Jersey is the only state in the country that allows each county to design its ballot to give...
Organization lines offer significant advantage in primaries, study shows
“The county line also increases voter confusion, contributing to overvotes and undervotes. The impact of the county line appeared to be greatest in races that did not involve an incumbent,” said Julia Sass Rubin, an associate professor at the Edward J. Bloustein...
New Jersey politics: Why primary ballots make all the difference
Stuart Shapiro and Julia Rubin discuss her recent article on the role of political machines in New Jersey and how the design of ballots favor some candidates over others.
NJ Primary Ballots Bamboozle Voters With ‘The Line,’ Experts Say
Many residents have been worrying about the reliability of mail-in ballots during the COVID-19 crisis. But there’s a much deeper problem that needs to be put in the spotlight, some advocates allege … the ballot itself. “The primary ballots that millions of New Jersey...
The “Hot Mess” of New Jersey’s election ballots
New Jersey is holding its first statewide vote-by-mail primary on July 7th. Even though COVID-19 has made 2020 a difficult and unusual election year all over the country, the Garden State has its own unique problems that predate the pandemic. A coalition...