In New Jersey, it’s the end of the line for old school ballot system

New Jersey’s county line — a ballot system that gives party-backed candidates a leg up in primaries — is headed for the trash bin of history following a partial settlement in the legal challenge to the system.

“We think and we hope that the line is dead – that there won’t be any more monkeying around with ballots by anyone in the state,” said Yael Bromberg, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

U.S. District Court Judge Zayid Quraishi accepted the terms of a settlement between the clerks of Burlington and Middlesex counties, as well as the Middlesex County Democratic Organization. The two counties have agreed to design primary ballots by grouping all candidates for one office together.

Until this year, 17 counties in New Jersey placed primary candidates that were endorsed by their county party organization in one line, which research shows gives an advantage to those candidates by signaling to voters that they are the legitimate party candidates. Several candidates filed a lawsuit to challenge the county line, and in March, Rep. Andy Kim successfully obtained a temporary injunction to stop the use of the line in his Senate race against first lady Tammy Murphy.

Now, even if the remaining 15 counties do not quickly settle, any candidate who wants to stop the use of the line could return to court and likely receive another temporary injunction.

“I don’t think the public will have it anymore and I don’t think the courts will have it either,” Bromberg said.

Gov. Phil Murphy said on WNYC’s “Ask Governor Murphy” on Thursday that he still supports the system, but suggested the effect on candidates would not be dramatic.

“I continue to think that party organizations – the ones that are well run, and we have a lot of them in counties in this state – have a lot more going for them in terms of their assets, if you will, than ballot construction,” Murphy said. “It likely will have an impact, but there are a whole lot of other elements at play.”

County party organizations not only endorse candidates, but they raise money, put out lawn signs and run get-out-the-vote operations. In many counties, that support is determined by party bosses, not by a vote of party delegates.

The boss-based system hearkens back to the days of Frank Hague, the infamous Jersey City mayor who was able to control virtually all of state government through his Hudson County machine.

New Jersey Working Families Alliance was also party to the lawsuit and its director, Antoinette Miles, hailed the settlements as the beginning of the end of a “corrupt county line system.”

”They’re an important step in the fight to end New Jersey’s unconstitutional primary ballot by putting voters in charge of who represents them and cementing long-term reforms to our electoral process,” Miles said in a written statement.