Progressive calls N.J.’s ballot-rigging system ‘cheating’

New Jersey Democrat and progressive, Lisa McCormick, has recently signed a pledge to oppose ballot rigging in the Garden State.

McCormick was outstanding in the last primary election for U.S. Senate, and this made her N.J.’s leading progressive, as she signed the pledge.

“The folks at Cape May County Indivisible, a progressive grassroots collective, came up with this Pledge to Democratize New Jersey,” said McCormick, who intends to make her plans for 2020 known in late March.

“As you may know, I believe bracketing in primary elections is nothing less than ballot rigging or cheating,” she states.

McCormick believes N.J.’s boss-controlled election system is rigged for cheating.

She explains in her pledge that ballot rigging, bracketing, or cheating is anti-democratic.

“This pledge calls attention to an anti-democratic structure unique to New Jersey Primary ballots, by getting candidates to publicly acknowledge the inequity and corruption enabled by the party line,” according to Kyle Aldrich, an Indivisible organizer,  who said five District 2 congressional candidates have signed on.

“When we talk about ‘machine politics’ in South Jersey – this is the root of it. This is the exact ballot structure that billionaire party bosses exploit to control our elections,” states Indivisible Organizer Cassandra Gatelein during a talk with Max Pizarro of Insider N.J.

“The candidates then become indebted to the party bosses, putting their desires before the needs of their constituents. This pledge is about putting power back into the hands of the people,” she declares.

McCormick posted the following statement on various social media sites:

The folks at Cape May County Indivisible, a progressive grassroots collective, came up with this Pledge to Democratize New Jersey. https://cmcindivisible.wordpress.com/

As you may know, I believe bracketing in primary elections is nothing less than ballot rigging or cheating.

My website has had a section called, “Stop Rigging Ballots” and I have stated that I want to: “Prohibit candidates from ‘bracketing’ or otherwise giving anyone an unfair advantage with respect to ballot position.” http://lisamccormicknj.nationbuilder.com/money_out

“Every American is entitled to equal protection of the law, so candidates picked by party bosses should not get preferential treatment in primaries.”

I also stated my opposition to the practice when I ran for US Senate in the 2018 Democratic primary; https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/mccormick-makes-offer-to-off-the-line-dems/

As my campaign manager said, explaining that I would give full support to candidates who sue to break up a ‘regular’ organization line in any county, “Mounting a legal challenge to this unjust law would be be an attack on the heart of illegitimate power of New Jersey political bosses, and a good chance to show why you deserve the nomination of the party of the people. Win or lose in the election, this is a legal fight worth waging and winning for the people.”

I am on the same page as Cape May County Indivisible, and I am proud to endorse their pledge.

Get involved and learn more at www.lisamccormick.org.