BRAVE NEW WORLD?

EDITORIAL OPINION

Registered Holmdel Republicans saw more political communications about the upcoming June 10th primary than ever.

Why?  This year’s Republican primary will mark the disappearance of the “county line” on the ballot.  Instead, all the candidates running for the same office will be listed in the same “office box”.

Brian Foster and Kim LaMountain, running for re-election, are being challenged by Greg Buontempo and Prakash Santhana for the two seats on the Holmdel Township Committee.

Back to the Future

In several public posts, Committeeman Rocco Impreveduto criticized Buontempo and Santhana for trying to “alter our township government for political advantage”.

This was a reference to the 2021 Charter Study Commission and the recommendations which were the subject of a referendum held in 2022.

Impreveduto is entitled to his opinion but, in effect, he is defending something that has been ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL by a Federal Judge in March 2024.

In the landmark decision that sent shock waves through New Jersey, US District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi ruled that the existing ballot design known as the “county line” is unconstitutional.  The county line is a ballot design whereby “endorsed” candidates are stacked together, typically in one column, and is unique to New Jersey.

It is this 2024 historic decision that we now have the “office box” ballot design for the June Republican primary.

Despite the attempts by some to lay blame on Buontempo/Santhana, the formation of the Charter Study Commission was the will of the people, specifically Holmdel residents who voted in favor of it as part of the three public questions in the 2021 November election.

The Commission was very concerned about the county line and the tremendous advantage afforded to “endorsed” candidates that were allowed to be on the county line.  This allowed political bosses to effectively dictate the outcome of elections since candidates on the county line win an overwhelming majority of the time.

As a result, the Commission recommended non-partisan elections that would eliminate the inequitable county line to level the playing field.  From the Commission’s report:

“…  Under the Township Committee form of government, elections can be held only on a partisan basis, which affords political party bosses, who are not residents of Holmdel, the power to select candidates to run on a party line for the Township Committee.   Those selected candidates have a significant advantage to be elected over candidates who are not on a party line.“

The emphasis added above is the reference to the county line that has now been ruled unconstitutional in 2024.  Alas, the Commission was two years ahead of its time.

Stay tuned.  It will be fascinating to see how election night results unfold in a world without the county line!

NOTE: The author of this Opinion served as Chairman of the Charter Study Commission.

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