Altman Calls for Swift Ending of Broken Ballot Line

New Jersey 7th Congressional District presumptive Democratic nominee Sue Altman released the following statement in response to today’s federal court hearing concerning litigation to abolish the county line system for New Jersey primary elections:

After years of working with advocates to reform New Jersey democracy, I’m excited that our state is on the cusp of fundamental changes that will strengthen our elections and empower voters.

I worked to bring the Conforti lawsuit in 2020 to abolish the line because I have seen how political insiders of both parties have used the current system to put their thumbs on the scale in our elections and undermine the right of voters to choose the candidate who best represents them. And in a system with few checks and balances, what then happens is a  flow of unholy things – from bloated public contracts, bad quality of constituent service, to subpar talent in government – none of which are a benefit to the regular resident or taxpayer of NJ. 

As Attorney General Matt Platkin pointed out just yesterday in a game-changing legal filing in this case, the county line clearly violates the constitutional rights of voters across New Jersey and is an outlier in the country. 

I’m hopeful that today’s hearing represents the next step in putting the power of people first in New Jersey, for the first time in history. We must make changes immediately, in time for this election. 

At a time when extremist Republicans are attacking our fundamental rights, from abortion access to LGBTQ+ rights to Medicare and Social Security, Democrats in New Jersey must be a leader in protecting our democracy- at every level. Democrats cannot just be another pig at the public trough, for it undermines our central message.  We must do better and demand more so that we can, in turn, make those demands of Republicans. 

When I am elected to Congress, I will continue to call out and fight against corruption in both parties and work to protect New Jerseyans’ civil liberties and strengthen our democracy. 

I commend the work of advocates today – many of whom sprang into action after the Trump election. The Trump era has been a dark time for our country. But it has brought fresh energy into the Democratic Party in NJ, and if a result of this era is reform, and a stronger, more fair Party, then there has been a silver lining to it all. 

Today is a testament to years of work of advocates around the state. Advocates should be proud of their long, brave, uphill climb, and the groundwork done long before the Line was in the headlines and the courtroom.”