Most witnesses who spoke Thursday urged the committee to rewrite provisions in the bill that would allow candidates in races with multiple seats — for Assembly, county commission, and certain local offices, among others — to be placed on the ballot as a group rather than individually.
Henal Patel, law and policy director for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, noted that experts in cases challenging county-line ballots presented significant evidence about the negative impact that grouping candidates has on voter choice.
“Any new ballot design should not allow for any grouping or association on the ballot,” Patel said. “New Jersey’s new primary ballot design should aim to be neutral.”
Patel and others said ballot draws should be conducted randomly for each candidate and election clerks should shift candidates’ ballot position in each voting precinct to ensure none enjoy a benefit from being placed at the top of their office block.