Murphy signs bill to increase signatures needed to reach most ballots

Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill Monday that will increase the number of petition signatures candidates need to qualify for most ballots.

The legislation will more than double many of the thresholds to reach the ballot: To qualify for a statewide office slot on a primary ballot, candidates will have to obtain 2,500 signatures, an increase from 1,000. Congressional candidates will need 500 signatures to reach a primary ballot, an increase from 200. State Senate and Assembly candidates will be required to obtain 250 signatures, an increase from 100.

For municipal races, the law will establish six different levels depending on the size of the town—100 signatures would be required in cities of 50,000 or more, while just five signatures would be needed in towns of 2,500 people. The law will establish a formula for countywide races—either one percent of the total vote cast by the voters of that political party in the previous primary or 300 signatures, whichever is fewer.

The governor’s office announced Murphy signed the bill in a Monday press release. Both chambers passed the bill along party lines last week. 

The bill applies retroactively to the start of the year—critics say the law is meant to limit outsider candidates from challenging establishment candidates. Disagreements over the law and its intent are especially potent this year: the lack of a county line has longtime legislators worrying about potential primary challengers, and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is backing a slate of legislative primary challengers throughout the state. 

Fulop retweeted criticism of the law, and a group of his candidates called on Murphy to reject the bill, according to NJ Spotlight News.

Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R-Denville) called the bill “legitimately ludicrous” in December and argued the higher threshold will protect the power of establishment politicians. Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-Chester Twp) also criticized the bill on the floor of the Assembly, saying the law could limit ballot access to establishment figures.

“Just moments ago, we took the momentous step, the long-overdue step of finally eliminating New Jersey’s county line — the county line on our primary election ballots — and finally, once and for all, establishing a clear, fair, and logical primary ballot for New Jerseyans,” Inganamort said. “To then make it harder for New Jerseyans to get on this ballot represents two steps forward and one step back.”

Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald defended the bill from attacks in December. He said petition thresholds haven’t been increased in 90 years and needed an update.

“Democracy should be about passionate people,” Greenwald said. “If 1,000 passionate people come forward in a district and can articulate their passion and garner their support and gather the necessary signatures, then they will find support and it will make them a better candidate. … But a crowded ballot with an excessive number of candidates makes it harder for voters to locate their preferred choice, leading to frustration, mistakes, and even undervoting.”