Join us in calling on Camden County to follow the rule of law. On Monday April 20, it came to our attention that the Camden County Clerk is sending out vote by mail ballots that feature lines and are not arranged in office block format.

The new ballot law, implemented in recognition of the rights afforded by the federal Elections Clause and the First and Fourteenth Amendments, including the precedential federal court preliminary injunction entered by Judge Quraishi, was meant to secure fair ballot design to lessen voter confusion and voter manipulation by ensuring the proper placement of candidates and ballot uniformity.

While there are some short-comings of the new ballot law, its gains were clear: the establishment of “office-block format” so that candidates’ names are grouped together by the office they seek. While the old “county line system” offered machine-backed incumbents a headstart of up to 30 points, the “office block format” ballot is meant to give all candidates’ names equal weight. The “office block” format is also clearer for voters who are no longer visually encouraged to just “vote down the line,” causing less over- and under- votes by presenting candidates fairly on the ballot.

Please join us in sending a message to state leaders asking them to enforce the rule of law and make the Camden County Clerk design a fair ballot for this year’s primary. While 32,000 vote-by-mail ballots have already been distributed to the voters, it is not too late to ensure ballot fairness, including on voting machines during the early voting period (May 26 - 31) and on Election Day (June 2). There is plenty of time to do the right thing.