The Battle Continues Against New Jersey's Weird Primary Ballots

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — There’s an old saying in real estate that’s taken as a universal truth: location, location, location. And the same holds true for New Jersey’s strange, “anti-democratic” primary election ballots, advocates say.

As Garden State residents get ready to vote in the 2023 primary election on June 6, grassroots activists continue their push to do away with what they say is one of the oldest tricks in the Garden State’s political playbook: commonly known as The Line.

Here’s how it works, a Rutgers University professor recently explained:

“Primary ballots used by the majority of New Jersey voters are organized around a slate of candidates endorsed by either the Democratic or the Republican Party. These slates of candidates are known as the ‘county line’ or the ‘party line.’ Instead of organizing primary ballots around the office being sought and clearly indicating which candidates are running for each position, most counties in New Jersey organize the primary ballots around a slate of party-endorsed candidates. As a result, voters often have a hard time determining which candidates are running for each office, giving a huge advantage to those who land on the county line.”

How big is the benefit? No state legislative incumbent on the line lost a primary election in New Jersey between 2009 and 2018, according to a recent analysis by the Communications Workers of America.

• See Related: NJ Primary Ballots Bamboozle Voters With 'The Line,' Experts Say
• See Related: NJ Needs To Change Its Weird, 'Biased' Primary Ballots: Advocates

The push against “The Line” in the Garden State continues for the 2023 primary election, with groups such as SOMA Action calling for change in how ballots are laid out in New Jersey.

The South Orange and Maplewood-based group will hold a virtual webinar on Wednesday, May 31 to discuss the political phenomenon. It will take place at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom; register online here.

Antoinette Miles, political director for the NJ Working Families Party, will speak at the event, dubbed “The Line: A Conversation About Democracy in Essex County.”

Here are a few things to know ahead of the webinar, according to SOMA Action (article continues below):

• “The Line is a unique ballot system in New Jersey where county or municipality endorsed candidates get preferential placement on the ballot”
• “Often criticized as anti-democratic, this system penalizes ‘off the line’ contenders, making it hard to vote incumbents out.”
• “A recent lawsuit, filed by the New Jersey Working Families Alliance and six former candidates, asserts that the ballot design system infringes upon the First and Fourteenth Amendments and the elections clause of the U.S. Constitution.”
• “The lawsuit could potentially redefine one of New Jersey's most unique and controversial political traditions.”

Other Garden State voters and activists have tried to put the spotlight on the controversial practice over the past few years, as seen on social media.

Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.