Assembly committee approves amended ballot design bill

An Assembly committee approved a bill on Monday to redesign the state’s primary ballots, likely allowing for an Assembly vote on Thursday.

The bill would codify office-block ballots, as opposed to the county line, a ballot design system that once formed the core of New Jersey political power. The bill would also require ballots to meet certain design standards, allow candidates in multi-seat elections to “associate” with and be placed next to their running mates (though without visible brackets), and bar all slogans that include the name of other candidates on the primary ballot.

The 12-member, bipartisan committee voted unanimously to approve the bill. The Assembly Appropriations Committee will also vote on the bill Monday.

The Senate is so far quiet on ballot-related legislation.

“We all came into this with a desire to craft a bill that not only adhered to Judge [Zahid] Quraishi’s ruling but addressed the practical realities of conducting elections,” co-Chair Al Barlas (R-Cedar Grove) said at the hearing.

“I’m really proud of it,” co-Chair Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson) told the New Jersey Globe after the hearing. “I think after hearing testimony, six different opportunities to hear people testify, hear from the professionals, … I think this is something we can stand on as a bipartisan committee to be proud of.”

The bill approved on Monday included amendments specifying that any candidate can use the words “Democrat” or “Republican” — a prior draft received scorn after it appeared to limit those terms only to party-endorsed candidates. The legislators said it was a language issue.

The committee will cease operations now that its recommendation have been sent to the Assembly.

One committee member, Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-Chester Twp), said the bill was good but should have also changed general election ballots.

“I wish that this bill went further and eliminated the county line, or essentially the columns and rows, that is similar to a county line in general elections,” Inganamort said at the hearing. “This bill went from good to very good and is just shy of perfect, because had we gone all the way, I would have preferred that we use an office-block design in the general elections. Nevertheless, we are finally and completely eliminating the county line, I am a yes.”

Barlas said he thinks it’s still too early to change the general election ballots to an office-block design, but the change is on the table.

“I think it’s something that we’ve talked about, is something that’s on the table, but I think we’ve got to see how this goes too, right?” Barlas told the New Jersey Globe. “Everything is sort of step-by-step.”