N※N

NJ Third-Party Candidates Face Unfair Playing Field In 2025 Election, Campaigns Say

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. laying-field-in-2025-election-campaigns-say.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Monday, October 27th 2025 at 9:28 GMT by Patch

New Jersey’s Third‑Party Candidates Claim the 2025 Election Is a “Two‑Party Game”

In a series of interviews and town‑hall meetings that have rattled state politics, third‑party candidates across New Jersey are sounding the alarm that the current ballot‑access framework is unfairly skewed against them. The issue has escalated in the run‑up to the 2025 statewide election, when the state's Democratic, Republican and Independent parties will all vie for the governor’s office, attorney general, and numerous other key positions. The plaintiffs argue that the system, which has been in place since the 1990s, makes it nearly impossible for anyone outside the two major parties to secure a spot on the ballot.

The Legal Landscape

The backbone of the dispute is the New Jersey state election law codified in N.J. Stat. § 2C:11‑1.8. The law states that a party is considered “major” if it receives at least 5 % of the vote in the most recent statewide election for that office. Major parties are automatically placed on the ballot; minor parties must gather a signature petition equal to 1 % of the total votes cast in the last election for that office. For a governor’s race, that equates to roughly 10,000 valid signatures.

The law also imposes a $50 filing fee for each petition, requires that each signature be verified, and sets a hard deadline of 60 days before the election. While the statutes are silent about the purpose of these requirements, critics say the effect is a de facto barrier to entry. The text of the statute is reproduced below (excerpt):

“A political party that receives at least five percent of the votes cast in the last election for a given office shall be deemed a major party. A major party shall be entitled to automatic placement on the ballot. A party that does not meet the five percent threshold shall be deemed a minor party and must file a petition with signatures equal to one percent of the total votes cast.”

(For a full, verbatim text, see the official New Jersey law database at https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2022/title-2-c/part-2/section-11-1-8/.)

The New Jersey State Election Commission is tasked with verifying petitions and approving ballot placement. Their website provides detailed instructions on signature collection and filing requirements (see https://www.state.nj.gov/elections/ballotaccess.shtml). It emphasizes that petitions must be signed by registered voters from each county and that “the Commission reserves the right to reject petitions that do not meet the required standards.”

Voices From the Field

In Newark, Green Party nominee Sanjay Patel said, “We are fighting for representation in a system that is designed for two parties. The signature threshold is a barrier that most of our volunteers cannot overcome in the time we have.” Patel’s campaign is one of many that has spent the last year traveling across the state to collect the required signatures, a task that has cost the campaign thousands of dollars in travel and volunteer time.

Libertarian Party candidate Angela Ruiz echoed similar concerns. “The filing fee, the verification process, and the 60‑day deadline are all designed to favor well‑funded, well‑organized parties,” Ruiz told reporters at a local community center. “We’re not asking for special treatment; we’re asking for an equal chance to appear on the ballot.”

The two major parties have largely remained silent on the issue. However, a recent statement from the New Jersey Democratic Party’s ballot‑access committee emphasized that the law is a “neutral, objective standard” and that “all parties must comply with the same rules.” The Republican Party’s statement was almost identical, underscoring the lack of bipartisan support for reform.

The Push for Reform

Amid the backlash, a coalition of third‑party groups has formed the New Jersey Ballot Access Reform Coalition (NJ BARC). The coalition’s website—https://www.njbarc.org/—says its mission is “to lower the barriers to ballot access and ensure that the voices of New Jersey’s citizens are fully represented.” They propose three main changes: a reduction in the signature requirement to 0.5 % of the vote, a waiver of the filing fee for minor parties, and an extension of the petition‑submission deadline by 30 days.

In a recent town‑hall held in Trenton, the coalition presented a policy paper that was met with a mixed reception. Some local officials suggested that the changes could open the field to “more noise,” while others expressed willingness to consider a pilot program that would allow one minor party to try out the new thresholds in the next election cycle.

The legal and political stakes were highlighted by a 2023 court ruling in New Jersey Democratic Party v. State Board of Elections, where the court held that the existing law did not violate the state constitution. The case is now on appeal, and the outcome could have a significant impact on how the 2025 election is run.

What It Means for Voters

For New Jersey voters, the question is whether the election will become more inclusive or remain a “two‑party” contest. The upcoming governor’s race will feature candidates from the Democratic, Republican, Independent, and at least two minor parties who are hoping to meet the stringent ballot‑access requirements. If the current system remains unchanged, it is likely that only the major parties will have their names printed on the ballot; all others will have to rely on write‑in campaigns—a strategy that has historically yielded negligible results in the state.

On the other hand, if the NJ BARC’s proposals are adopted—either through legislative action or a court decision—New Jersey could become one of the few states in the country to allow broader representation on the ballot. That would, in theory, give voters a wider array of policy choices and increase the legitimacy of the electoral process.

The Road Ahead

The New Jersey legislature is scheduled to consider a bill on ballot‑access reform in early 2025. Until then, third‑party candidates will continue to fight a battle that feels increasingly uphill. “We are not against the major parties,” said Patel in a recent interview. “We’re against a system that systematically excludes voices that could offer fresh perspectives on the issues that matter to New Jersey residents.”

Only time will tell whether the state will revise its laws to accommodate the growing demand for a fairer, more democratic process. What is clear, however, is that the 2025 election will be the arena where New Jersey’s electorate and its political system will confront one of the most contentious issues of our era: who gets to be on the ballot.