Appeals court leaves hold on New Jersey’s primary ballot system in place

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court upheld a lower court judge’s ruling putting a temporary halt on New Jersey’s primary ballot design, widely seen as helping those with party establishment support. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia denied an appeal by county clerks seeking to halt U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi’s recent order preliminarily stopping how the officials design primary ballots. The appeals court ruling means Quraishi’s order stays in place ahead of the June 4 primary. The higher court’s ruling on Wednesday is just the latest in a flurry of developments affecting how the state’s elections are carried out. Quraishi clarified over the weekend that his order applies only to the Democratic primary, not the Republican.