Federal court scraps New Jersey's controversial 'county line' ballot design
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/29/politics/new-jersey-ballot-county-line/index.html
"Voting rights advocates scored a major victory Friday in New Jersey when a federal judge struck down the use of a controversial primary ballot design that favored party-backed candidates.
The decision is potentially a grave blow to the states powerful political machines, which have for decades used the so-called county line to prop up their endorsed candidates. The system is currently used in 19 of the Garden States 21 counties.
The preliminary injunction granted by US District Judge Zahid Quraishi is almost certain to be appealed, but, for now, it means that New Jersey voters will use office block ballots the standard across most of the country during the June primary. The lawsuit was brought by Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for the seat of scandal-tarred incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez, and two other South Jersey-based House candidates, who argued that the current system is unconstitutional.
Quraishis order includes specific language barring county elections officials from organizing their ballots by column or row and replacing it with a randomized ballot order system
which affords each candidate for the same office an equal chance at obtaining the first ballot position...