The Jersey City Council will vote on a resolution next week urging the New Jersey legislature to abide by the federal court’s rulings to abolish county organizational lines.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
” … the New Jersey State Legislature has promised ‘public process on ballot design in New Jersey, including a thorough and thoughtful review of other states, as well as a process that involves input from the public,’ it is critical that a new ballot design be implemented that does not violate the language or intent of Judge [Zahid] Quraishi’s decision and embodies the best practices of democracy,” the resolution says.
“Whereas, any action to the contrary would go against the will of voters across New Jersey, as well as against good government groups all across the country who have examined this trial and found New Jersey’s unique county line ballot system to be an infringement on the democratic rights of voters across the state.”
On March 29th, Quraishi granted emergency injunctive relief to a lawsuit spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-3) and while an appeal is ongoing, the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld Quraishi’s decision on Wednesday.
This mean that Democrats won’t have county lines in the June 4th primary, though Republicans will still be able to utilize it at least one more time after the Morris County GOP argued that since Republicans did not request relief, it could not be granted, and Quraishi agreed.
The Morris County GOP, New Jersey Republican Chairs Association, Camden County Democratic Committee, and the Middlesex County Democratic Organization are continuing the appeal after all county clerks dropped out.
While Jersey City does not have any plaintiffs in the case, the primary sponsor of the resolution Ward E Councilman James Solomon was one of a handful who filed an amicus brief to back Kim’s case prior to Quraishi’s decision.
Additionally, Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor, had his campaign file an amicus brief on April 9th comparing the line to the corrupt practices seen under Frank Hague and Tammany Hall.
The Jersey City Council will convene for their caucus at City Hall, 280 Grove St., on Monday at 4 p.m. and then for their regular meeting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Both sessions will stream live on Microsoft Teams.
