Dhillon Law Group Files Emergency Appeal to Ensure Lawful Ballots in Gloucester County
NEWARK, N.J. (October 9, 2025) – The Dhillon Law Group has filed an emergency appeal on behalf of the Gloucester County Republican Committee and candidates Jonathan M. Sammons and Byron Driscoll to compel county officials to comply with New Jersey election law and issue legal, properly formatted ballots before early voting begins.
The appeal follows a Superior Court ruling that declared the county’s 2025 general election ballots violate state law. Despite that decision, county officials have refused to correct the ballot design in time for in-person voting, which begins October 25.
Josiah Contarino, attorney for the plaintiffs and counsel with the Dhillon Law Group, said the case is about ensuring voters have the lawful, clear ballots they are entitled to under state law. “Gloucester County voters deserve ballots that follow the law, not ones that confuse or disenfranchise them,” Contarino said. “Election integrity starts with a legal ballot, and that’s exactly what this appeal is fighting to protect.”
According to the appeal, New Jersey law requires general election ballots to be arranged in “column format,” where each party’s candidates appear together under their designated column. A public drawing on August 11, 2025 awarded Column A to the Republican Party. But instead of following that format, the County Clerk issued ballots using a “contest block” layout that listed candidates by office instead of by party, eliminating the required columns and misleading voters accustomed to finding their party’s candidates together.The New Jersey Republican Party says the motion is intended to “ensure every Gloucester County voter receives a ballot that is legal, fair, and easy to read before early voting begins.”
The trial court’s October 7 order confirmed that Gloucester County’s ballot violates state law, but the court declined to require officials to fix the touchscreen ballots used for in-person voting. The Dhillon Law Group’s emergency appeal now asks the Appellate Division to require the county to correct those ballots immediately so that all voters, by mail or in person, receive a ballot that follows the law.