“You’re going to start seeing a lot more bravery by legislators and you’re going to see primary challengers that are more successful,” said Sass Rubin, the Rutgers professor. “So you’re going to have more accountability.”
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In the News
Democrats are campaigning on protecting democracy. In N.J., what that means is complicated.
Candidates not on the line “look illegitimate” when they are not grouped with other candidates, Rubin said in a recent phone interview. “They’re off in ballot Siberia.”
Nick Cuozzo (MPP ’14) Runs for Somerset County Commissioner
BERNARDS TWP. – A township resident was one of two candidates to win the Somerset County Republican Organization (SCRO) endorsement on Tuesday, March 5, to run for two seats on the Somerset County Board of Commissioners. Nick Cuozzo, a gaming industry executive who...
Maplewood Dems Questioned ‘County Line’ Years Ago; Now It’s Big News
Ultimately, says Rubin, because party chairs and/or party insiders have the power to determine who goes on the county line, “Elected officials become beholden to a few party insiders, not to the voters.”
Op-Ed: Three reasons why NJ should cut the ‘county line’ from ballots
For example, Professor Julia Sass Rubin from Rutgers University has argued that the county line system impacts elections by “steering voters towards specific candidates” and “increases voter confusion, contributing to overvotes and undervotes” by as much as 50 percentage points in some races.
Preethy Thangaraj (MPP ’20) New Incoming Deputy Director of the Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy
“I look forward to continuing the responsibility of cementing New Jersey’s climate leadership by delivering on urgent and high-impact climate policies, just environmental planning, and a robust green economy. I thank the Governor for this expanded opportunity.”
Too late to change ballots NJ’s political bosses use to sway elections? Judge pushes back.
The defense cross-examined Sass Rubin, asking her whether she could specify whether the races she analyzed could have been affected by name recognition of the candidate, or the amount of money spent on the race.
“Potentially,” Sass Rubin said. “But you’re seeing the same pattern being on the county line and having the same results across 45 races.”
Primary ballot in N.J. is ‘unconstitutional,’ state attorney general says
“We are the last of the [political] machine states, and the machine relies on the county line to stay in control,” Rubin told The Washington Post on Monday. “If you displease the people who decide who gets the line,” you could lose your office, she said.
Controversial bill to revamp NJ public records law yanked
I would suggest there’s no pressing reason to rush anything through in a few months,” Pfeiffer told NJ Spotlight News. “The attention that’s been placed on this has given the Legislature and the governor the opportunity to really rethink how we manage public records in the state of New Jersey…”
Op-Ed–We need to fix OPRA – Let’s start here
It is widely acknowledged that OPRA needs fixing. Recent legislative hearings highlighted that. But debates about changes often involve accusations between parties, making productive discussion impossible. Reforms attempted in private by a few groups fail because they do not consider different viewpoints or unintended impacts. This causes more public distrust in government.