This June’s primary will be the first time most New Jersey voters will be able to use a fair ballot to elect gubernatorial and legislative candidates. Last spring, a federal judge ruled that the old county line primary ballots, which all but two of New Jersey’s counties had used for decades, distorted election outcomes by favoring candidates supported by local party leaders and were likely unconstitutional. In March, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation requiring all 21 New Jersey counties to use an office block primary ballot, like those used in almost every other state, which does not provide preferential treatment for candidates endorsed by county party organizations.
What has the death of the county line meant in this election?
Although this change is relatively recent, the impact has already been substantial. This year, multiple Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates decided not to seek county party endorsements. Before the elimination of the county line primary ballot, this would have meant almost certain defeat.
Perhaps even more important, the end of the county line primary ballot has led to more than twice as many contested legislative races as there were two years ago, even though 2023 saw a historic number of incumbent retirements, which should have encouraged more people to run.
New Jersey’s lack of competitive primaries was one of many negative consequences of the county line primary ballot. Candidates who did not receive preferential ballot positions on the county line tended to drop out, leading to choiceless primaries reminiscent of elections in the former Soviet Union.
In addition to legislative races, there also are six Democratic and five Republican candidates running for governor this year. For the first time in decades, almost any one of them could win — particularly in the Democratic primary, where the candidates have consistently polled within a few percentage points of one another. In contrast to most New Jersey primary elections, this one really will come down to turnout, with voters rather than party bosses deciding the winner.
The catch is that New Jersey voters, who are used to choiceless primaries with predetermined outcomes, may not bother to turn out. That would be a shame. Elections, both primary and general, have real consequences, and not voting is a decision to allow others to determine your future.
The good news is that New Jersey residents have until Tuesday, May 20, to register to vote in the June primary. There are options for in-person, mail or online registration. Voters must declare as either a Democrat or a Republican to take part in the primary. Although the deadline has passed for changing affiliation between parties, switching from unaffiliated to either party can be done as late as June 10.
Don’t let others determine your future. Make your voice heard by voting this June.
Dr. Julia Sass Rubin is the associate dean of academic programs and director of the public policy program at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Rubin served as an expert witness in the Kim v. Hanlon lawsuit that led to the end of the county line primary ballot.