Monmouth County clerk conducts 2026 primary ballot draw under New Jersey statute

Christine Giordano Hamlin, the Monmouth County Clerk, opened a public livestream to conduct the county's ballot draw for the 2026 primary, saying the process determines positions on the ballot and is performed on a statutorily designated date and time.

"This draw will determine the positions on the ballot for candidates," Hamlin said, adding that the office would carry out the drawing with the assistance of county clerk staff. She cited the governing procedure on the livestream, saying, "Pursuant to New Jersey 19:23-24," the candidates' names are written on uniform index cards that are placed in a box, mixed thoroughly and drawn one at a time, with the first name drawn taking the first position.

Hamlin told viewers the county would conduct the Republican drawing first and the Democratic drawing immediately after. She identified the contested offices to be drawn by the county clerk's office as the Republican U.S. Senate contest and the congressional contests in the 3rd (Republican) and the 4th and 6th (Democratic) Congressional Districts; she said local municipal contests would be drawn by the respective municipal clerks.

After the procedural explanation, Hamlin turned the proceedings over to her deputy, Judith Ricci, and county clerk staff to perform the draw. A county staff member then read the names of candidates for the contested offices on the livestream; the recording transcribes a list of candidate names for the parties and districts the clerk had identified.

The livestream concluded after the reading of candidate names. The county clerk's office indicated municipal-level contests will be handled by local clerks, per the usual practice.