On October 19, 2007, the New Jersey Conservative, Green and Libertarian Parties won the lawsuit that had been filed on October 13, 2006. New Jersey officials decided that the case is so strong, they wouldn’t contest the lawsuit. Therefore, the judge didn’t need to make a decision; the state simply signed an agreement to change its policies. The case is Green Party of New Jersey et al v State, Mercer Co. Superior Court, c-125-06. The New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center and the law firm Emery Celli Cuti Brinckerhoff deserve thanks for representing the parties pro bono. The parties are holding a press conference on Monday, October 22, at the State Capitol, which will contain more details.

The lawsuit results are: (1) the state will let voters register as members of the Conservative Party (the Greens and Libertarians already had that ability); (2) the state will let voters give as much money to any of the three unqualified parties as it lets people give to the Democratic and Republican Parties; (3) the state will let the three unqualified parties give as much money to their nominees as the Democratic and Republican Parties may now give; (4) the three unqualified parties will be exempt from lobbying fees, just as the Democrats and Republicans are exempt; (5) petitions to get the nominees of unqualified parties, and independent nominees, on the ballot will no longer say that the signer intends to vote for those nominees; (6) all petitions for district and local office can now be circulated by any adult resident of New Jersey; the circulator need not live in any particular district or locality.