The New Jersey Senate today passed a bi-partisan ballot design bill that eliminates county organization lines and mandates office block ballots in primary elections, ends candidates without party endorsements being relegated to “Ballot Siberia” – and an option for running mates seeking the same office to bracket together.
The Senate version eliminates the direct election of Democratic and Republican State Committee members; instead, they will be elected in a vote of the full county committee.
The bill passed 35-2, with State Sens. Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City) and Holly Schepisi (R-River-Vale) voting against it.
Antoniette Miles, the state director of New Jersey Working Families, criticized today’s vote as “a step backward.”
“The bill gives certain candidates a leg up by permitting running mates to group together,” she said. “Every candidate should be treated the same.
Miles criticized the legislature’s failure to conduct random draws.
“Despite the shortcomings of this legislation, we recognize that the determined work of advocates and a carefully considered legal strategy have won key victories in the fight for a fair New Jersey ballot,” Miles stated. “The corrupt county line is gone forever.”
New Jersey’s electoral system was thrown on its head earlier this year when federal judge Zahid Quraishi ruled the county line, which gave party leaders the ability to grant an advantageous ballot slot to endorsees, was likely unconstitutional. Quraishi ordered Democrats to hold a line-free primary election earlier this year.
The Assembly bill passed 70-1 in December; at the time, Senate President Nicholas Scutari said he expected to fine-tune the bill. With amendments, the bill must now go back to the Assembly for approval before heading to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk.
Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson), who chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Ballot Design, was elected to the Senate since the lower house’s initial approval last year. He voted yes today.
RELATED ARTICLES
-
-
January 15, 2019 -
