NJ Attorney General: If You Want a Meaningful Vote, Join a Party

image
Published: 29 Jul, 2014
Updated: 15 Oct, 2022
1 min read
(Newark, N.J.) — In May, New Jersey Secretary of State Kim Guadagno

onetwothree.v2filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed to defend the individual voting rights of New Jersey voters, regardless of their party affiliation, including the 47 percent of New Jersey voters who have chosen not to affiliate with a party at all.

The plaintiffs argue that New Jersey’s closed partisan primary system violates an individual's right to vote because: (1) the primary conditions a voter's right to participate on giving up their right to not join a private political party, (2) the partisan primary effectively dilutes the voting power of non-party voters, and (3) the system violates New Jersey’s own constitutional prohibition against the private use of taxpayer funds.

On July 28, New Jersey Secretary of State Kim Guadagno submitted a reply on behalf of New Jersey. The State argues:

“...a voter who feels disenfranchised because of a regulation that conditions participation in primary elections on party membership ‘should simply join the party.’” p. 4-5

“Thus, the relief plaintiffs seek here... would, if granted, contravene these precedents and uproot one of the hallmarks of our electoral system, the partisan primary...” p. 2

“[No courts] have recognized that unaffiliated voters have a fundamental right to participate in primary elections even when those elections are an integral part of the electoral process.” p. 2

Read the Complaint:

Read the Motion to Dismiss:

Read the Plaintiff’s Reply to the Motion to Dismiss:

Read the Response to the Plaintiff’s Reply:

Photo retrieved from CNN.com.

Latest articles

10 reasons nothing ever gets done on the border
10 Reasons Nothing Ever Gets Done on the Border Crisis
ICE raids, Los Angeles riots, “No King” protests. It’s all people can talk about these days as immigration is front and center in the American social and political zeitgeist. For many voters, this all may seem familiar....
13 Jun, 2025
-
11 min read
I voted sticker being put on someone.
Republican Joins Democrats in Maine to Give Voters More Choice
Showing an independent streak in keeping with Maine’s political tradition, Sen. Rick Bennett (R–Oxford) broke ranks with his party this week to join 91 Democrats in supporting a bill that would finally fulfill the will of Maine voters: implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in all state general elections....
13 Jun, 2025
-
7 min read
How It Really Works Health Care Behind Bars
Health Care Behind Bars - How It Really Works
The health care crisis behind bars affects two distinct but deeply connected groups: incarcerated individuals and correctional officers. While incarcerated people are constitutionally entitled to care, access remains inconsistent, and most enter custody with significant medical and mental health needs. They face higher rates of chronic illness, infectious disease, and psychiatric conditions than the general public....
12 Jun, 2025
-
20 min read