TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey acting Governor Tahesha Way has said recently that it’s too early to ban former U.S. President Donald J. Trump from being on the election ballot in June’s GOP primary election.
In a recent court filing, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, by direction, allegedly of Way, argued against a lawsuit seeking to prevent former President Donald Trump from appearing on New Jersey’s primary and general election ballots for the 2024 Presidential Election. The lawsuit, filed by an unnamed plaintiff, claims Trump is ineligible to run for president based on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Attorney General’s response highlighted several procedural issues with the lawsuit. Platkin pointed out that no petitions requesting Trump be placed on the 2024 ballots have been filed yet, making the case premature under New Jersey law. He emphasized that New Jersey’s legal process for election disputes has not yet begun for the 2024 election cycle.
Platkin argued the lawsuit is procedurally improper, as it seeks to preemptively challenge potential nominations before they are officially filed. Under New Jersey law, Title 19, candidates must meet specific deadlines to file their petitions. Any objections to these petitions can be made after these deadlines, and the Secretary of State must resolve these objections, possibly referring contested cases to the Office of Administrative Law.
Only after this process can challenges to the Secretary of State’s decisions be made in the Appellate Division. It is not known at this time whether Platkin or Governor Phil Murphy will follow suit after Colorado banned the former president from being on the ballot.
The Attorney General’s filing requests the dismissal of the lawsuit on three procedural grounds: the issue is not ripe for consideration, the court lacks jurisdiction as the matter falls under the Secretary of State’s purview, and the Appellate Division is the appropriate venue for such challenges according to state law.
The lawsuit’s future and its potential impact on the 2024 Presidential Election in New Jersey remain uncertain, pending further legal proceedings.