New Jersey Political Insiders Lose Primary Ballot Design Edge (1)

New Jersey political insiders have lost an immense primary advantage with a federal court ruling prohibiting the state’s wonky ballot design that boosts candidates with a local party approval.

The state’s confusing ballot that highlights county-party approved candidates in a left-hand column where voters can more easily see them—while dropping other candidates in harder-to-find spots—violates the US Constitution, Federal District of New Jersey Judge Zahid N. Quraishi ruled Friday.

The “the county-line provides a substantial benefit in terms of voting over and above candidates that are merely endorsed by a county,” Quraishi said, and “the Court finds that Plaintiffs have ...