A special Assembly committee has unanimously approved a proposal to reform New Jersey's primary ballots, aiming to eliminate the county line from state law. This decision comes in response to a federal court ruling that suggested the current county-line system, which organizes candidates by party endorsement, might be unconstitutional.
If passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor, this bill could significantly alter primary elections in a state known for its machine politics. Julia Sass Rubin, a Rutgers professor who has researched the impact of the county line on election outcomes, expressed concerns: "My concern would be not that they would be misleading by saying they’re endorsed and they’re not. My concerns there would be that it overtly puts the endorsement on the ballot, and the ballot should not be a way of communicating the endorsement."
The proposed legislation allows candidates to appeal to the state Superior Court if their campaign slogans are rejected due to similarity with others. However, it does not specify how election officials should decide which slogans require modification.
Under this bill, candidates can include their party affiliation in their slogans but cannot use names of other office-seekers. This restriction is seen as potentially targeting Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. Fulop is currently recruiting legislative running mates for his gubernatorial campaign in 2025.
Advocates had sought additional changes such as candidate statements detailing their platforms more comprehensively; however, these were not included in the final version of the bill.
