Court blocks special ballot placement in New Jersey primaries, handing win to Andy Kim

A federal judge has granted Rep. Andy Kim's request to bar New Jersey election officials from printing primary ballots that give certain candidates favorable placement, a practice known as the "county line." U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi instead ordered officials to prepare ballots "organized by office sought"—the system used in every other state—rather than one that places candidates endorsed by county parties in a special row or column.

In a 49-page opinion, Quraishi agreed with Kim and two House candidates who were co-plaintiffs that the county line violated their First Amendment rights by conferring an unfair advantage on anyone who receives special ballot placement. One expert who testified on Kim's behalf, Rutgers professor Julia Sass Rubin, concluded that between 2002 and 2022, candidates on the county line enjoyed an average boost of 38 points.

The New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein reports that some defendants plan to appeal, but should Quraishi's ruling stand, its impact on the Senate race may be minimal. Kim's top rival, former financier Tammy Murphy, recently dropped her bid just ahead of this year's filing deadline, and most party leaders in counties that had previously awarded their line to Murphy said they would instead grant it to Kim.