For the first time in decades, New Jersey will have democratic elections.
Today, in a 49 page decision, Federal Judge Zahid Quraishi ruled that New Jersey’s anti-democratic County Line ballot system cannot be used in the upcoming primary election. These were the judges concluding words, that literally brought tears to my eyes:
“…the Court wishes to make clear that it recognizes the magnitude of its decision. The integrity of the democratic process for a primary election is at stake and the remedy Plaintiffs are seeking is extraordinary. Mandatory injunctive relief is reserved only for the most unusual cases. Plaintiffs’ burden on this Motion is therefore particularly heavy. Nevertheless, the Court finds, based on this record, that Plaintiffs have met their burden and that this is the rare instance when mandatory relief is warranted.”
I am not being hyperbolic when I describe this. Even NJ.COM called it “a political earthquake.” (and notably, made the article available to the public and not behind a paywall – it’s that big of a deal.) Google "County Line Ballot NJ" and you will see all the coverage it is getting from local and state news sources to the likes of CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.
As I have mentioned to you before, from a lay person’s perspective, this is all about what the ballot looks like when you go to vote in a primary election and any advantages given to certain candidates over others.
This is what the ballot looks like in 49 other states, and now New Jersey will have to follow suit in the upcoming primary. It creates “Office Blocks” and groups candidates by the office they are seeking, and puts them in alphabetical order so voters will select a candidate in each box, and not see how they are affiliated with other candidates:
New Jersey’s ballot had looked like the following, before today’s ruling...
…where all the candidates selected and endorsed by the County political party are grouped together on “the line” (outlined in red). With other candidates to the right of "the line" in what is referred to as Ballot Siberia. Really, that’s what they call it and if you google it you will see all the articles that reference this. Voters, especially those uninformed, will often "vote the line" because it has the party endorsement, thus giving advantages to every candidate "on the line" at the expense of the candidates in "Ballot Siberia".
Research shows candidates “on the line” have a 95% chance of winning by 30% or more. So those who are thinking of running for office but not given the advantageous “line” position on the ballot, often decide not to run with the result being uncontested primaries. Meaning whomever was selected by the County party to be "on the line", will most likely win the uncontested primary, and therefore win the general election – in Hudson County this would be the winner of the Democratic primary because we are 3:1 Democrats / Republicans in Hudson County.
The average voter doesn't truly understand the implications of this transformative ruling. But it is monumental. This paves the way for democracy and having a truly representative government that is both for the people and by the people in New Jersey. Something I have advocated for, for years, and that hadn't existed here, until now.
I am so thankful to the many voices who made this happen, and in particular for U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Andy Kim to lead the lawsuit that brought about this decision. #MoreVoicesAreAlwaysBetter #IntegrityWins.
It is a remarkable day and not just Good Friday, but a great one.
As always, please share this with everyone you know who may be interested and reach out any time on any issue important to you: 201-208-1764 or [email protected]. Click to subscribe to my newsletter.
Tiffanie Fisher
Hoboken City Council, 2nd Ward
Engage. Inform. Advocate.
“More Voices are Better”
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