NJ Legislature leaders open to redesigning ballots after party line dispute

New Jersey's legislative leaders — both Democrats and Republicans — have said they are open to redesigning New Jersey ballots that give preferential position to candidates supported by county political machines.

Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco and Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio issued a statement late Tuesday on Rep. Andy Kim's lawsuit, which seeks a redesign of New Jersey ballots to eliminate the county line.

Scutari, Coughlin, Bucco and DiMaio said they have “listened to the public debate” about the ballot design.

They went on to say there is a “longstanding precedent that the Legislature has the authority to determine the law regarding ballot design and the appropriate discretion used by county clerks."

“We are committed to beginning a public process on ballot design in New Jersey, including a thorough and thoughtful review of other states, as well as a process that involves input from the public,” the statement said.

All four party leaders have spent multiple terms in the Legislature, and all have used the line while running.

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Where does Andy Kim's lawsuit stand?

Kim’s lawsuit alleges that New Jersey's ballot design creates an unfair advantage for the candidate awarded the line, or the first position on the ballot. The clerks from all 19 counties that use the county line ballot design are named as defendants.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a letter to the judge that he sees the current New Jersey ballot design as "unconstitutional" and doesn't intend to defend it in court.

Kim, alongside Patricia Campos-Medina and Lawrence Hamm, has already called for the line system to be dismantled and the block system, which is used by every other state in the nation as well as two New Jersey counties, to be implemented statewide.

Kim is in the midst of a contentious campaign season as he and first lady Tammy Murphy battle to secure the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Both have been traveling throughout the state to try to get the county line position at the various Democratic county conventions.

Scutari, who also serves as Union County Democratic chairman, voted last month to award the line to Murphy and did not publicly comment about the ballot design at that time.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Lawmakers open to NJ ballot design changes after lawsuit