Gov. Phil Murphy Signs Controversial Bill Overhauling Primary Election System

TRENTON, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill that brings significant changes to New Jersey's primary election system, with primaries just three months away. The signing of the bill follows a year after the state’s courts declared the long-standing county-line ballot format unconstitutional. The new legislation removes voters’ ability to select state committee members for a political party. Instead, these positions will now be chosen by partisan county committee members, who previously lost considerable influence when the county-line format was dismantled. Additionally, the bill maintains the practice of candidates being "bracketed" together on the ballot, with positions decided by a single draw rather than individually. The bill also prohibits candidates from using slogans that reference the name of another candidate running for a different office. This provision is aimed at Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, whose slate of Assembly candidates will no longer be able to include his name in their campaign slogans. More than 75 advocacy groups had written to the governor in late February, urging him to veto the bill. They argued that the changes could create an unfair ballot system. Despite their calls for a conditional veto, the governor did not respond to the letter. Opponents of the bill argue that it favors incumbents, claiming that it allows county party bosses to retain significant control over elections despite the absence of the county-line format. This concern is further heightened by a previous bill signed by Murphy in February, which increased the number of signatures required for candidates to appear on the ballot—another move critics see as incumbent-friendly. The bill's signing comes just months before the June primaries, where candidates for all 80 Assembly seats and the governor’s office will be on the ballot.