Here’s why we are happy to endorse Rohit Dave for LD27 Assembly:

Candidate order: The bill to reform New Jersey’s primary ballots (A5116) moves New Jersey closer to fair primaries by eliminating the county line ballot and instituting an office block ballot design. However, candidate order for the primary ballot will still be determined by the County Clerk or Municipal Clerk drawing names out of a bin. This provides an advantage for the candidate drawn in first position and has resulted in some clerks drawing the party endorsed candidates for first position a statistically improbable number of times. I support the following reform that would ensure a more fair candidate order on the ballot:
Rotating the order of candidates for each office by voting precinct, so each candidate appears on the ballot first, second, and so forth, approximately the same number of times (see the recently introduced bill A5181).

Comment: I am for taking the bias out of ballots and removing the weight an official party endorsement still seems to be having on the redesigned ballots. A computerized randomization may also accomplish the objective, but given the history of ballot designs, voters may reasonably harbor mistrust in a computerized process. A rotation is equitable and solves the risk of continued perceptions of bias.

Slogans: I support prohibiting the use of slogans to express party endorsements on primary election ballots. New Jersey is the only state that allows primary candidates to use slogans to indicate endorsements.

Comment: Parties should be creating forums and a platform for sharing more about each candidate so that party members have the best information when they cast their votes. Official party slogans can circumvent the intended ballot reforms by perpetuating the party endorsement bias that offers a false sense of vetting and process, which is the purpose of primary campaigning. I would happily remove my slogan if all candidates agreed to create a level playing field.

Voter access: I support adopting parts of H.R.1 in New Jersey in order to increase voter participation, ensure access to the ballot box, and strengthen elections, including specifically same day registration, early voting and a paper trail for machine voting that enables verification.

Comment: Adding friction to voter participation is antithetical to the democratic process. This bill helps reduce friction and also increases transparency without undue burden, which creates a healthier and trustworthy process. I am supportive.

Ethics reform: I support ethics reforms that would require broader disclosure of financial information and the release of income taxes by candidates for county-level and state-level public office, as a means of transparency.

Campaign funding: I support the public funding of campaigns for all state-level elected offices (i.e., the state legislature and gubernatorial elections).

Comment: As a first time candidate, the incumbency and party endorsement advantage has never been clearer in terms of access to funding, which is critical in reaching a wider population of voters. The Citizens United decision set our elections back nationally. We have to find ways to keep our elections from being bought and make campaigns grassroots again to give voters more options.

Redistricting: I support placing a nonpartisan commission in charge of the legislative redistricting process.

Comment: I support more representatives districts. We will need to stay vigilant and ensure the commission remains independent over time.

Public Advocate: I support passing legislation to reinstate the statewide Office of the Public Advocate that was eliminated in 2010.

Posting of state bills: I support requiring that bills be posted in written form at least 72 hours prior to committee discussion or vote, and that budget bills be posted at least 5 business days in advance of discussion or vote, to improve transparency in the legislative process.

Comment: More time for review will lead to better decision-making by legislators and just as importantly, provide a fair shot to the media and broader public to have a discourse on the pros and cons of proposed laws and budgets. This reform is critical.

State legislative meetings: I support making all committee meetings accessible to the public for attendance and testimony by online means (e.g., via zoom) and streaming of voting sessions to increase availability and transparency of government.

Full time legislature: I support making the state legislature full-time and prohibiting the simultaneous holding of other paid positions, so as to eliminate conflicts of interest and sources of influence and pressure on state legislators.

Comment: I fully support enacting stronger rules and laws around conflicts of interests at a state and local level. Third party sources of income clouding political decision-making is a serious problem. However, I believe making the state assembly a full-time job would make our government less representative.

Making state legislative office a full-time role would largely limit the office to people who are career politicians, are independently wealthy, and/or have partners who serve as a primary source of household income. None of those attributes should be disqualifying, but they would narrow the pool of candidates and reduce representation from diverse voices in policymaking.

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More information about Rohit Dave:

Email: rohitdavenj@gmail.com
Campaign website: https://rohitdave.com/
Social media: Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, Twitter/X
Party affiliation: Democratic party

Date of Birth: 8/4/1985
Current Occupation: Business Leader, Financial Technology
Education: New York University School of Law, J.D.
New York University Stern School of Business, B.S.
Public/party service: Board Member, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, 2019-2022
Intern, Jersey City Employment and Training Program, 2013
The White House, Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2011
Young Professional Action Council, South Asian Youth Action, 2007-2010