New Jersey Democratic Rep. Andy Kim criticized his party for manipulating voters by strategically placing candidates on the ballot to favor certain individuals over others.
Kim highlighted the impact of this tactic on elections and filed a lawsuit against the state over the ballot design.
“And it’s been determined,” Kim said. “In fact, our lawsuit has the newest data about how this impacts it. Upwards of double-digits advantage for someone who is in what’s called the county line, because it’s just something that draws in the voters and oftentimes people even miss that there are other columns further off.”
For me, fighting for a fair ballot in Jersey is about preserving and protecting democracy.
Thank you @kasie for having me on @CNNThisMorning to breakdown the unfair impact of the county line versus a ballot that truly empowers the people’s voice and choice. pic.twitter.com/Xn8R5yTif4
— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 29, 2024
Kim is currently in a primary campaign for the U.S. Senate against Tammy Murphy, the party’s favored candidate.
Kim emphasized the need for fairness in the electoral process and accused Democratic Party elites of influencing the Senate primary unfairly.
“So, you know, this is something that is a real concern, and it’s trying to basically manipulate and take advantage of voters. And I think that that’s wrong,” he said.
Kim noted that he believe the Democrat party “should be able to give everyone a fair chance.”
“We’re the only state in America that does this. Forty-nine other states do what’s called office block ballots, which is the norm,” he said.
“I believe that the Democratic Party is a party of protecting our democracy and making sure we’re preserving that,” Kim said.
“But right now in my home state, Democratic Party elites are the ones that are putting their thumbs on the scale of this Senate primary, trying to be able to put this in the favor of the first lady of New Jersey, the governor’s wife, who obviously controls a lot of power in that family,” he said.
“Whereas I believe that democracy should be fair and open to anyone that should be able to participate, not just the well-off and the well-connected,” Kim said.
Kim “has a problem with losing,” a spokeswoman for Tammy Murphy stated. “He is perfectly happy to participate in the process when he wins.”
Despite potential self-interest in his actions, Kim’s concerns about voter manipulation by the Democratic Party are valid and warrant attention.
