Under increased scrutiny, a court-ordered do-over of last week’s illegal ballot draw for the May non-partisan election in Orange resulted in the incumbent mayor moving from the first ballot position to the third.
Superior Court Judge Robert Gardner found on Tuesday that the initial ballot draw conducted by City Clerk Joyce Lanier was done “improperly and unlawfully.”
Scott Salmon and Tom Jardim, lawyers representing mayoral candidate Quantavia Hilbert, alleged in court filings that the first ballot draw, where Mayor Dwayne Warren got the first slot on Line A, was rigged.
Today’s drawing, which was recorded by the New Jersey Globe, resulted in Hilbert getting the top ballot position – A1 – and Warren finding himself at A3.
It’s not clear if Gardner has referred the matter to law enforcement. He did not announce anything during the court hearing and his spokesman declined comment.