Garden State Times

Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) has introduced a bill aimed at restoring confidence in the ballot drawing process for both Republicans and Democrats.

"At the heart of this bill is a commitment to ensuring our elections are fair, transparent, and honest," said Sen. Pennacchio. "When there's a fifty-fifty chance of securing the top ballot position, it defies probability for one party to lose 17 years in a row. This legislation seeks to increase transparency and restore confidence in how ballot positions are determined."

In New Jersey, county clerks randomly select capsules containing rolled-up paper slips with the names of each political party from a box to determine ballot positioning. However, concerns over fairness and capsule manipulation have persisted—such as allegedly regulating the temperature of certain capsules for favored candidates. Senator Pennacchio's legislation would allow candidates or their designated representatives, and political parties to attend ballot drawings and inspect the materials used to ensure fairness. The bill would also require county clerks to notify all participating candidates and political parties at least 72 hours prior to the ballot drawing.

"Truly randomizing ballot drawings should unite Republicans and Democrats in the pursuit of election transparency," concluded Sen. Pennacchio. "We don't need complex systems or computers—just transparency and accountability."

The full text of Sen. Pennacchio’s bill, S-3598, is available online.

To speak with Sen. Pennacchio, please contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Communications Director at [email protected].