N.J.S.A. 19:23-23.2 — Design standards, primary election ballots.

19:23-23.2 Design standards, primary election ballots. 2. a. All primary election ballots used in this State shall comply with the following design standards: (1) the oval or space for the voter to mark a vote shall be to the left or to the right of the name of each candidate, and each candidate's name shall appear flush next to and aligned with the oval or space in a consistent manner which does not create any visual distinction between candidate names; (2) all text shall be written in plain, simple language, to the extent possible, and shall avoid overly technical language; (3) candidates shall be arranged by office sought in an office block format, each office block shall be separated on the ballot from other office blocks, and candidates for the same office shall be listed within the same office block without a page break appearing between their names, and as further provided under R.S.19:23-25; (4) all office blocks appearing on one ballot shall be designed according to the same standards of design, consistent with the provisions of this section; (5) all spacing, ruling, and delineation of candidates shall be consistent and uniform within each office block and across all office blocks included on each ballot so as not to create a separation or visual distinction between the names of any candidates; and (6) candidate ballot draw positions shall be labeled using a letter and number, such as "1A", corresponding to the office block and line each candidate is placed on, and such label shall be placed next to a candidate's name. b. No primary election ballot used in this State shall be designed in a manner that creates for a candidate on the ballot an incongruous separation from other candidates seeking the same office, positions a candidate on the ballot among candidates for a different office, or brackets candidates together on the ballot so as to position a candidate based upon a drawing for ballot position for a different candidate for a different office. No primary election ballot used in this State shall include any distinguishing mark or notation, except as otherwise provided by law. c. Each county clerk shall: (1) allow for the placement of a slogan or endorsement of not more than six words next to or below the names of candidates in the same font and color as the name, but in a smaller font size, provided that the slogan or endorsement shall not be in bold or italicized fonts and provided that the slogan or endorsement complies with R.S.19:23-17; (2) allow candidates for the same office with multiple open seats to associate in the same office block, using a common slogan or endorsement, next to or below the associated candidate names in compliance with the provisions of R.S.19:23-18; and (3) indicate the association of candidates for the same or different offices using a common slogan or endorsement next to or below each of the candidates' names, as provided by R.S.19:23-17. d. In addition to complying with the provisions of this section, each county clerk may arrange and design the ballot in either landscape or portrait orientation. e. The Secretary of State, in consultation with all county clerks, shall promulgate uniform guidelines for all county clerks to follow in order to comply with the requirements of this section. L.2025, c.32, s.2.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 19:23-23.2, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.