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On Tuesday, March 19, New Jersey's legislative leaders, Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Senate Minority Issue Anthony Bucco, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio issued a statement on the controversial practice, vowing to begin a public process on ballot design.
The move comes after Rep. Andy Kim, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate filed a federal lawsuit looking to dismantle the "line," and testified in court on Monday, March 18.
The layout is controversial because candidates endorsed by party bosses are grouped together in a favorable position on primary ballots, giving them a leg up on their opposition in 19 out of 21 New Jersey counties.
Kim has made dismantling the line a centerpiece of his campaign and received unexpected support when New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin called the line system "unconstitutional" in a legal filing and said he would not defend it in court.
"We have listened to the public debate surrounding ballot design in New Jersey," the statement from the legislators said. "“We have previously understood New Jersey’s ballot design law to be one that has withstood scrutiny from the New Jersey Supreme Court and has been in place for at least 80 years."
The legislators said they have the authority to determine the law regarding ballot lines and vowed to work in a bipartisan manner to "ensure public trust in a transparent and democratic process in New Jersey."
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who is running for governor in 2025 and has expressed opposition over the line system, was skeptical the legislators would act.
"I’ll interpret," Fulop said on Twitter. “'Sit tight - We will reform the ballot right after we are done gutting OPRA - give us some time and trust us 😉.' "
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