BY DHIREN SHAH
On March 26, Orange Township Clerk Joyce Lanier lost a case for improper line ballot drawing. As per the news, the township clerk has drawn in favor of her candidates, which is improper ballot drawing. Luckily, it was recorded, and mayoral candidate and councilwoman Quantavia Hilbert filed a case against the clerk with clear proof. The judge ruled against Joyce Lanier and ask her to redraw the ballot position.
It makes a huge difference for many voters who usually vote for the line A. For the past 18 years, Essex County Democratic Party was getting Line A and their motto was “Line A all the way.”
Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren said, “It is an improper ballot drawing by the city clerk. I have not attended ballot drawings for 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024.” However, Mayor Dwayne Warren was lucky enough for the majority of elections to get Line A1.
Orange Councilwoman and Mayoral candidate Quantavia Hilbert gave this statement:
“On Friday, March 22, candidates for the May municipal election appeared for the drawing to determine positioning on the ballot. We experienced intimidation tactics and an unfair process that resulted in unfair results.
“As an elected official, I was disappointed by the Clerk’s Office and the attempts by the Administration to hinder our right to a fair and open process. As a result of these unlawful actions, my team filed a lawsuit in Essex County Superior Court yesterday (March 25) and sought an order requiring the City Clerk to redraw the ballot positions.
“Today (March 26), we emerged victorious, with Judge Gardner clearly holding that it was, as we believed, an unfair and unlawful process. The Superior Court granted a redrawing of ballot positions, which will be conducted in Council Chambers on March 28th at 3 pm.
“We demand a fair and transparent voting experience for the people of Orange, and we deserve nothing less. Those who pose a threat to our democracy and the values of the great State of New Jersey will be held accountable.
“We say no to cheating, no to voter suppression, and no to a fourth term. Orange will be reborn as a city of opportunity, and I will continue to stand for our residents.”
In 2017, the board of education filed a case against Lanier. This matter was before the Court on the City of Orange Township Board of Education’s (“Plaintiff’s”) Verified Complaint and Order to Show Cause with Temporary Restraints to halt the printing and publishing of a referendum regarding the reclassification of the City of Orange School Board District from a Type I school district, one in which the school board members are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Orange Township, to a Type II district, one in which the school board members are elected by the residents of the City of Orange Township.
For the November 8, 2016 general election for the City of Orange Township, a referendum was placed on the ballot for voters to elect whether to change from a Type I School District to a Type II School District. Residents overwhelmingly approved that referendum, and on March 28, 2017 a special school election was held to elect two new members to the Board of Education. On April 24, 2017, a court voided the results of the referendum as well as the special school board elections.
The defendants in this matter were the City of Orange Township, Joyce L. Lanier, City Clerk for the City of Orange Township, the Essex County Clerk, and the Committee for an Elected School Board.
