Homeless Individuals Reportedly Coerced Into Casting Illicit Ballots, N.J. County Official Warns
A New Jersey county official has warned of a disturbing trend: homeless persons in Atlantic City and adjacent localities are being targeted to cast bogus messenger votes before the November general election. After documenting instances of homeless people being approached and asked to vote illegally, Atlantic County clerk Joe Giralo is pushing for messenger ballot law modifications.
Clerk Giralo said the messenger ballot technique is open to abuse and undermines electoral confidence. He lamented that Atlantic County’s messenger ballot corruption continues to damage public trust. Giralo claims that certain homeless persons in Atlantic City and Pleasantville have been offered money or other inducements to participate in fraudulent ballot scams.
The federal lawsuit against political organizer and former Atlantic City official Craig Callaway heightens these worries. He pleaded guilty to arranging a 2022 general election fraud plan in February 2025. Prosecutors allege Callaway hired operatives to submit mail-in ballots for people who never requested or authorized them. The program offered $30–$50 each ballot. Messengers were directed to collect ballots from the county clerk’s office and give them to Callaway’s cronies instead of real voters.
Department of Justice
New Jersey law allows messengers to collect mail-in ballots from the clerk’s office and deliver them to voters if they certify their intent. The legal method meant to help voters who cannot physically present their ballots has been misused in some situations. Giralo believes the risks now exceed the benefits due to accumulating evidence.
Giralo has asked state legislators and law police to help him tighten rules. He believes messenger ballot reform is needed due to its flaws. Atlantic County executive Dennis Levinson publicly supported election integrity, saying it must remain a priority.
Atlantic City and Pleasantville police have not commented on the allegations. However, the charges have raised questions about voter protections and how electoral fraud might penetrate systems, especially through vulnerable communities.
The case raises uncomfortable issues about how voting mechanisms can allow—and even facilitate—abuse, especially when underprivileged people with fewer resources are targeted. It also suggests supervision and legislative changes to close messenger ballot abuse loopholes.
State officials are under pressure to act as November approaches. Changes to messenger ballot rules must combine voter access with protections against exploitation. For those who worry their ballot will be manipulated, this dispute goes beyond theory and undermines democratic participation in marginalized areas.
Sources
U.S. Department of Justice press release on Craig Callaway’s guilty plea
Reports on Atlantic County clerk’s statements
Coverage of messenger ballot concerns and election integrity
