Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman has formally requested that the New Jersey Attorney General investigate ongoing delays in the distribution of vote-by-mail ballots, raising concerns about the role of multiple entities involved in the process.
The request targets Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo, along with Royal Printing Services, the Hudson County-based company responsible for printing ballots, and Universal Mailings, a Piscataway-based mail house that handles delivery to the United States Postal Service.
Suleiman’s concerns stem from what he describes as repeated delays affecting voters in Atlantic County. In a public statement released April 30, he called for state intervention after many residents reported receiving ballots well after the legally required start date.
The statement claimed at that point — almost two weeks since the state’s law required Vote by Mail to commence — most voters in Atlantic County have either not received their mail-in ballots or received them that day.
“It’s truly embarrassing how incompetent the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office is at getting Vote by Mail ballots out on time,” said Suleiman. “These delays have been going on for the past four years. This gross incompetence by the Clerk’s Office, and the ballot printer, and/or the mailhouse is unacceptable. I’ve been voting by mail for years and I’m finally receiving my ballot today.”
Under state law, counties must begin sending vote-by-mail ballots by April 18. Suleiman argued that Atlantic County has lagged behind other counties, many of which have already seen ballots returned by voters.
In response, Clerk Joe Giralo defended his office’s handling of the process, emphasizing that the county met the legal requirement to begin distribution.
“There is a quick process of preparing the layout of the ballot, proofing the ballot, a back-and-forth with the printer to ensure no errors,” Giralo explained in a statement to Shore Local. “From the beginning — after the draw for positions, creation of the ballot and the proofing, and back-and-forth with the printer — there is only a 14-day window. The key word here is ‘commence,’ and our office did meet the statute by actually commencing on 4/16/2026.”
Giralo said that after ballots are completed, they are turned over to outside vendors for distribution. He said Royal Printing handled delivery, adding that the mail house involved operates as a third-party vendor with which the county does not hold a contract.
Giralo also pointed to the complexity of this year’s ballot as a contributing factor to the timeline.
“This cycle, we in Atlantic County have the largest ballots because of the county committee up for election with both parties. Let’s keep in mind that our county does district-specific ballots, and this cycle we have 145 different ballots to match the voting districts,” he said. “There are 32 different ballots because of commissioner districts, as well as the Democrats having to run in wards and districts. Lastly, there are over 600 candidate names on the ballots across the county. There is a lot of proofing.”
Giralo added that his office has remained responsive throughout the process.
“We have dealt with each and every call and email to our office. I surely want to ensure that everyone who wants to vote is given that opportunity,” he said.
Suleiman, however, is pushing for greater transparency and accountability. He has asked the Attorney General’s Office to determine when ballots were printed, when they were transferred to the mail house, and when they were ultimately delivered to the Postal Service.
“Every other county can get ballots out on time so there’s no excuse for Atlantic County,” said Suleiman. “Enough is enough. We need the state to get involved here and hold people accountable. I am imploring the Attorney General’s Office to take appropriate action.”
The dispute comes as Suleiman prepares to step down from his leadership role. He has already announced he will not seek another term as chairman, though speculation continues about a possible run for higher office — something he has not confirmed.
Meanwhile, the investigation request places renewed scrutiny on Atlantic County’s election operations as the vote-by-mail process continues.
