PHILADELPHIA, PA — A federal appeals court has confirmed the continuation of a preliminary injunction against the use of the “county line” in New Jersey’s Democratic primaries.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals supported a March 29 order by U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi, which mandates that New Jersey’s county clerks use office-block ballots that organize candidates by the office they are seeking, rather than grouping them by party endorsement.
The Camden County Democratic Committee had requested the lifting of these restraints, but the court upheld the lower court’s decision, which found the county line likely unconstitutional. According to Judge Kent Jordan, the county line discriminates by favoring certain candidates over others based on party endorsements and political views.
Attorneys Yael Bromberg, Brett Pugach, and Flavio Komuves, who advocated against the county line, described the decision as “monumental.”
They stated that this ruling ensures fair ballots in upcoming primaries and highlighted the court’s stance against what they termed New Jersey’s “anti-democratic” practice of using the county line.
This decision marks a significant win for New Jersey progressives, who argue that the county line unfairly benefits party-endorsed candidates and discourages challenges within party primaries.