as voters cast their ballots for the primary election tomorrow they'll be deciding a number of consequential races nominees for seats ranging from the president of the United States to Senate and Congress County Sheriffs and of course local council members Democratic voters are also encountering a change to their ballots for the first time in decades a revamped design that uses office blocks instead of the controversial party line which proponents say strips Party leaders of their ability to hand select primary winners early voting wrapped up yesterday already well over 300,000 voters cast ballots either in person or through vote by mail for everything else you need to know about the election including the races to watch we've got Micah Rasmussen in the studio director of Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Ryder University Micah great to see you as always before a day like we're facing tomorrow uh before I get into any of that potential spoiler we've learned that Senator Menendez uh will file his nomination petition what can you tell us so I think he's looking to produce a big number I think he wants to surprise in the news in the courtroom last week somebody asked him about 10,000 signatures he said no where did you hear that I think he's trying to come up with a number that's going to surprise everybody and I think really what he's trying to do we've talked about it before is keep himself politically relevant for another few months he doesn't want to be a lame duck because in Washington Chuck Schumer Joe Biden should care about whether or not we hold on to this seat and whether or not he's a potential spoiler so I think all his leverage at this point comes from being politically relevant for the next few months which he wouldn't otherwise be yeah and I should clarify this won't change things for the ballot tomorrow this will be for the November election which if Andy Kim as it looks since he appears to have the support um clinches that nomination there's where the spoiler would lie uh what other races are you watching heading into tomorrow so his son's race is a big one in Hudson County for that congressional seat the eth district he's running against hobok and mayor Ravi Bala and that is a very hotly contested one why Rob Menendez got to Congress two years ago really on the strength of his father's name and reputation and coiles and so since that was a strength for him two years ago it's a liability today we're wondering whether or not that's a difference that could weaken his chances as well as the party organization Hudson not having that powerful County Line this time to get him across the finish line so can a well-funded challenger like Bala make a strong play against him so far it's looking like that and we're going to see what happens interesting because assemblyman Raj mcgie had an oped today backing uh Menendez Rob Menendez and a lot of folks from Hudson County even though the line isn't there a lot of prominent voices have come out um what about in District 3 that's the race for Andy Kim's now open seat yeah so herb conell way longtime legislator um and Carol Murphy are running against each other there are other candidates Joe con is in the race um and Sarah Shon good is in the race but these two former running mates these two uh longtime district office mates that have been teaming up for a long time are now running against each other herb Conway has got all the support of the organizations again no lines so how much do the organizations Miss A Beat here or how much do they keep up and figure out what they're going to do in place of the line to get their candidate across the finish line so this is one of those tests that we're going to see how do the organizations do on their own with that without that line does herb Conway finish strong so then I have to ask because we're talking so much about the line this is a first I mean we're going to have a completely different we have a completely different ballot for Democrats many folks have have already voted um how do you think that'll play I mean when you look at the two because it doesn't it's not a use for Republicans it's pretty striking it is and um I think what the reformers would tell us is this is an early Glimpse at life without the line because we didn't when candidates filed to run they didn't know the line was going to be gone so we're going to get a better Glimpse in the next year or two years as we see who decides to run and take on the line based on how these organizations are doing without it so this is going to be an early look uh if herb Conway finishes strong Rob Mendez finishes strong then we're going to know that the organizations still have some juice yeah which is likely Micah thanks so much as always good to talk to you [Music]