“You can see the impact that the county line has on both parties in recent legislative races. Over the last few years, three incumbent female legislators lost their primaries after losing the county line in all or some of the counties in their districts.”
Topic
party line
A lawsuit challenging NJ’s uniquely abysmal, toady-rewarding ballot system moves forward
There is a federal lawsuit filed by Pugach and a group of former candidates and advocacy groups that challenge the primary ballot system as unconstitutional, which received a de-facto vote of confidence from a federal judge on May 31, when the court ruled a motion to...
Challengers win right to fight ‘party line’ ballots
In primary elections, some candidates are grouped in a horizontal or vertical line by their county party, such as the Camden County Democrat Committee or Democrats for Change. This is called a “county line” or “party line.” Nineteen out of the state’s 21 counties use...
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...
Lawsuit against ‘the line’ gains more allies
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is the latest group to sign on to a lawsuit which seeks to end the long-standing tradition of the party line on New Jersey ballots. Henal Patel of the institute filed an amicus brief on behalf of the League of Women Voters...
Lining up to fight the party line
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...
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...