Stuart Shapiro asks Julia Rubin, why New Jersey has long been considered one of the most politically corrupt states. She explains how a consistent pattern of high-profile cases have contributed to this perception, citing the influence of the state’s longtime political machines and the now-abolished “county line” primary ballot that heavily favored party-backed candidates as primary examples. She also walks us through how years of research, lawsuits, and the more recent Menendez scandal have culminated in a major reform that replaced the county line with fairer office-block ballots, leading to more competitive races, higher voter turnout, and a growing number of reform-minded legislators.
Topic
NJ ballots
New Jersey’s ballot design that gave party bosses big influence is officially dead
A study by Rutgers public policy professor Julia Sass Rubin, looked at ballots where voters either voted twice or didn’t vote for certain offices, likely because of the way the line creates confusing ballots.
Governor Murphy Discusses County Line Research in Podcast
Governor Murphy and Nancy Solomon discuss Professor Julia Sass Rubin's research on the Party Line Ballots with a caller on his "Ask Governor Murphy" show on October 10, 2023. Ask Governor Murphy - October 10, 2023 Episode
Should Holmdel voters dump parties and elect the mayor? They decide next week
According to Julia Sass Rubin, professor of public policy at Rutgers University, who gave a presentation to the commission, candidates on the “county line,” which is the column for candidates endorsed by the local Democratic or Republican party committees, have an...