New Jersey is the only state in the nation in which county party bosses are able to choose where candidates are positioned on the ballot. This arguably assures that the candidates bracketed together in a vertical or horizontal line by the respective two-party...
Topic
ballots
Fusion voting. Should we revisit ballot design from the 1800s?
Professor Julia Sass Rubin, who has been popular in the media this Spring for challenging party line ballots, makes a case for bringing back fusion voting.
New Jersey’s primary election ballots are rigged | Opinion
Former Rutgers Law School Dean and Public Advocate Ron Chen and former NJ Attorney General and current Director of Rutgers' Eagleton Institute of Politics John Farmer cite Bloustein School professor Julia Rubin's research on the county line in an editorial about New...
Tuesday’s primary election is rigged for the old guard
“This year only 10 percent of the seats in the Legislature are being contested,” says Julia Sass Rubin, an associate professor at Rutgers. “This is a toxic system, and it limits who will run.” And who will win. No state legislator has lost a primary since...
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...
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...
‘Convoluted’ ballots give some candidates a leg up, lawsuit says
Pugach refers to this placement as "ballot Siberia." The concept is the subject of a new research paper by a Rutgers University professor that suggests primary ballots in New Jersey allow party insiders to pick winners. NJ1015.com, July 6, 2020