A new state wide group of progressive organizations is calling on candidates in the 2024 U.S. Senate race to help end the party line on New Jersey primary ballots by taking a public stand against the way they're designed.

Fair Ballot Alliance, N.J., says the current method, which is used in 19 out of the state's 21 counties, is unfair because it gives preferential placement to candidates who have the backing of county parties, grouping them in one row or a county line.

I asked Uyen Khuong, the executive director of Action Together, New Jersey and a member of the alliance.

Why they're seeking a change when.

Uyen Khuong, thanks so much for joining me.

Let me ask you first, what prompted this move?

For all of these organizations to get together and essentially call on candidates to really take a stand.

So it started with the indictment, the latest indictments of Senator Menendez and then Andy Kim jumped on and announced that he would run for Senate and then Tammy Murphy came out.

But I think what triggered it, the triggering point, was when immediately after her announcement, she got the lines, the endorsements from the five major counties.

And I think a lot of us were alarmed at how quickly the the race seemed to have been sewn up so quickly.

It was in a matter of days.

Remind us when what does research show?

Because New Jersey is unique in this ballot design.

What does research show about the effect of a county line ballot?

So the county line ballot for Senate and congressional races, there's a 38 point advantage.

And this research was done by Julia Sass Rubin at the Bloustein School.

And I think that's just an insurmountable advantage that someone can have.

And, you know, as a coalition, we believe that the parties can do whatever they want.

They can endorse the candidates.

They can run ads, do GOTV, all of that for their endorse candidates.

We respect both the Democratic and Republican Party because, again, we're working across partisan.

We respect their own internal party processes.

We just think that that campaigning or electioneering should stop at the voter's ballot.

Are any of the candidates signaling that they'll support this so far?

We have seen that the campaign of Andy Kim has come out in support and also on the Republican side.

I'm not sure about saying his name correctly, but Greg Melee has come out also in support as well.

So we have one on each side and we hope to hear from more.

I mean, we know we've talked a lot about the benefits for candidates.

So do you anticipate that you're going to be able to get some movement here, just given the amount of money that they can pull in having the the county endorsements, but also having those power bosses behind them?

Well, we have never seen as much coverage of this issue as we have now.

And personally, I think that action together, we're using this very unique time in New Jersey's history where we've got the sitting senior senator of New Jersey under indictment and also the wife of the sitting governor.

And there would be an overlap.

They would both be insert in office together if she were to be elected.

I think we're using this unique opportunity to really get out and, one, educate voters about how they can vote and not have to vote, you know, down the line how to prevent overvotes.

And secondly, to really get rid of the line and go with an office block display, just like all other states in the nation.

Uyen Khuong is the executive director of Action Together and her organization is a member of this new alliance.

Uyen, thank you so much.

Thank you so much.