The New Jersey county election offices that are fighting to retain the old discriminatory ballot format for this year’s Democratic primary have filed this brief in the Third Circuit. They want the Third Circuit to stay the ruling of the U.S. District Court that ordered office-group ballots for the June 4 Democratic primary.

Their brief says the U.S. District Court order violates the Purcell Principle, a poorly-defined doctrine that says election rules should not be altered too soon before an election.

The brief had to be written in great haste. The Third Circuit had ordered that it be filed by midnight at the end of Monday, April 1.

On the afternoon of April 1, U.S. District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi refused to stay his own opinion in the New Jersey ballot format case.  Then, four New Jersey counties each asked the Third Circuit to grant a stay.  The case numbers are 24-1593, 24-1594, 24-1601, and 24-1602.  They will be combined.

On April 1, the plaintiff-candidates who had sued 19 New Jersey counties over primary ballot format filed this brief in Kim v Hanlon, 3:24cv-1098.  They argue that the U.S. District Court Judge should not stay his own order that mandates office-block ballots for the Democratic primary.  They point out that only 14 of the 19 counties are even asking for a stay, and that Essex County, one of the 14 counties, says it can manage the upcoming June 4 if it must use office-block ballots.