Seton Hall Law Legislative Journal Symposium   

RSVP to attend the Ballots and Democracy: A New Scholarly Agenda event presented by the Seton Hall Law Legislative Law Journal

Ballots and Democracy: A New Scholarly Agenda

Seton Hall Legislative Journal, Vol. 47, Symposium


WHEN
Friday, February 24, 2023 ¦ 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST.

WHERE
The Larson Auditorium | Register now.

CLE CREDIT AVAILABLE
7 NJ CLE credits (general) and 5.5 PA CLE credits (substantive)

DESCRIPTION
This symposium will focus on the relationship between ballots and democracy. Most election law experts understand that the way our ballots look can significantly influence how people vote. This Symposium will bring together activists, scholars, judges, lawyers, and law students from around the country to discuss how ballot design impacts and influences democratic outcomes. The panelists will discuss the history and use of the "Australian" ballot in the United States, past controversies concerning poorly designed ballots, the empirical effects of ballot design, litigation strategies to improve ballot design, and the ways in which voters and the public can become more educated about how ballot design influence democratic outcomes. The Symposium will seek to educate the public about the problems of bad ballot design both as those problems exist nationally and in New Jersey. All attorneys will receive CLE credit. The Symposium will consist of four panels. Admission is free. There will also be a complimentary breakfast and lunch, and a cocktail reception following the event. Paid parking is available in the garage adjacent to the law school.
 

CLE MATERIALS


Agenda Friday, February 24, 2023

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

 

Continental Breakfast

9:00 - 9:15

Opening Remarks

Zachary Cimring

Zachary Cimring
Symposium Editor, Seton Hall Legislative Journal

 

Eve Litvak

Eve Litvak
Editor-in-Chief, Seton Hall Legislative Journal

 

9:15 - 9:20

Introduction of Symposium and panels

Eugene Mazo

Eugene Mazo
Assistant Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law

Learn more about Eugene Mazo >>

9:20 - 10:45

Panel 1: Ballot Design and Democracy: A National Perspective

This panel will examine how ballot design influences electoral outcomes. The panelists will discuss the history of ballot design in the United States and the controversies that have been caused by poor ballot design in American politics. This panel will assess the existing scholarship on ballot design, as well as the influence that ballot design has on voters.

Eugene Mazo

Moderator: Eugene Mazo
Assistant Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law

Learn more about Eugene Mazo >>

Derek Muller

Derek T. Muller
Professor of Law, University of Iowa College of Law

Learn more about Derek Muller >>

Mark Alexander

Mark C. Alexander
Arthur J. Kania Dean and Professor of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

Learn more about Mark C. Alexander >>

Richard Winger

Richard Lee Winger
Editor for Ballot Access News

Learn more about Richard Winger >>

Whitney Quesenbery

Whitney Quesenbery
Executive Director, Center for Civic Design

Learn more about Whitney Quesenbery >>

10:45 - 11:00

 

Break

11:00 - 12:30 p.m.

Panel 2: Ballot Design in New Jersey: The History and Empirical Effects of the "County Line" Ballot Bracketing System

This panel will focus more specifically on New Jersey’s unique “county line” ballot bracketing system, on its history, and on its empirical effects. The panels will discuss why the "county line" ballot bracketing system exists in New Jersey and explain how it works. They will also discuss how the "county line" ballot bracketing system impacts electoral outcomes throughout the state.

Donna Kelly

Moderator: Donna Kelly
Adjunct Professor of Election Law, Seton Hall University School of Law

Learn more about Donna Kelly >>

Brett Pugach

Brett Pugach
Counsel, Weissman & Mintz, LLC.

Learn more about Brett Pugach >>

Flavio Komuves

Flavio Komuves
Member, Weissman & Mintz LLC

Learn more about Flavio Komuves >>

Sam Wang

Sam Wang
Professor of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Princeton University

Learn more about Sam Wang >>

Julia Sass Rubin 

Julia Sass Rubin
Associate Professor, Rutgers University

Learn more about Julia Sass Rubin >>

12:30 - 1:15

 

Lunch

1:15 - 2:45

Panel 3: Litigation Strategies: The Constitutional Challenge to the "County Line" Ballot Bracketing System

This panel will examine the ongoing challenges to New Jersey’s “county line” ballot bracketing system and assess their likelihood of success. The panelists will discuss the legal theories that have been advanced to challenge the "county line" in New Jersey, how these challenges are now playing out in the courts, and whether New Jersey's "county line" system is constitutional. 

William E. Baroni Jr.

Moderator: William E. Baroni Jr.
Adjunct Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law

Learn more about William E. Baroni Jr. >>

Yael Bromberg

Yael Bromberg
Principal, Bromberg Law LLC

Learn more about Yael Bromberg >>

Eugene Mazo

Eugene Mazo
Assistant Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law

Learn more about Eugene Mazo >>

Ryan P. Haygood

Ryan P. Haygood
President and CEO, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

Learn more about Ryan P. Haygood >>

Angelo J. Genova

Angelo J. Genova
Co-Founder and Chairman, Genova Burns LLC

Learn more about Angelo J. Genova >>

2:45 - 3:00

 

Break

3:00 – 4:30 

Panel 4: Ballot Design and the Common Good: Efforts to Educate the Public about New Jersey's Ballots

This panel will explore the efforts that activists and civil society groups are undertaking to educate New Jersey’s citizens about the impact that the state’s ballot design system has on their vote. The discussion will focus on media strategies and other approaches that are currently being taken to reform New Jersey’s ballots.

Solangel Maldonado

Moderator: Solangel Maldonado
Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and Eleanor Bontecou Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law

Learn more about Solangel Maldonado >>

Renee Steinhagen

Renée Steinhagen
Executive Director, New Jersey Appleseed (NJA)

Learn more about Renée Steinhagen >>

Liza Weisberg

Liza Weisberg
Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey

Learn more about Liza Weisberg >>

Kevin P. Hancock

Kevin P. Hancock
Director of Strategic Litigation, Campaign Legal Center (CLC)

Learn more about Kevin P. Hancock >>

Ronald K. Chen

Ronald K. Chen
University Professor, Distinguished Professor of Law and Judge Leonard I. Garth Scholar, Rutgers Law School
Learn more about Ronald K. Chen >>

Sue Altman

Sue Altman
State Director of the NJ Working Families Party
Learn more about Sue Altman >>

 

4:30 – 4:40

 

Closing Remarks

Zachary Cimring

Zachary Cimring
Symposium Editor, Seton Hall Legislative Journal

 

Eve Litvak

Eve Litvak
Editor-in-Chief, Seton Hall Legislative Journal

 

4:45

 

Reception. Cocktails and light food to be provided.


CONTACT
If you have any questions or need to make changes to your registration, please contact Kaitlyn Casa at 973-642-8587 or [email protected].


Registration has closed.