Scifert to remain on Elgin ballot, board rules

Elgin City Council hopeful Kyle Scifert can remain on the April 7 election ballot, an electoral board ruled Monday.

Elgin resident Roy Chapman said he hasn't decided whether to file an appeal to the ruling, which found that a wrong date on Scifert's nominating petitions is not reason enough to kick him off the ballot.

Scifert admitted he wrote "April 7" where he should have written "Feb. 24," when a primary election would have been held if needed. However, he argued, the error doesn't affect the integrity of the election process.

"Attempting to strike a candidate off the ballot in which over 100 voters signed a petition to put him on is the very definition of tearing at the fabric of the most basic form of democracy," he said.

The electoral board - comprising Mayor David Kaptain, City Clerk Kim Dewis and Councilman Terry Gavin - agreed with Scifert.

The error was "merely a technicality," Gavin said. "We are trying to encourage people to run for office," he said.

Kaptain and Dewis said Scifert had no intention of confusing or deceiving voters.

Scifert also pointed out Chapman misspelled his name as "Seifert" on his objection, which the board found was not a reason to invalidate that, either.

Attorney Jeffrey Meyer, who represented Chapman, argued election law is clear about the date issue. "Nitpicky? Perhaps. But it is a mandatory provision," he said.

Both sides presented other government bodies' decisions - including appellate court rulings - to support their arguments.

Chapman said he and a group of others reviewed city council candidates' petitions on behalf of Julie Schmidt, also a candidate.

Schmidt said she was aware that Chapman and others had reviewed candidates' petitions.

"I appreciate the due diligence of my supporters," she said, adding she was disappointed by the board's ruling.

"I think that if there are rules, they should be followed," she said.

Chapman - who unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2013 - briefly served as treasurer for the fiscally conservative group Elgin OCTAVE, of which Schmidt is a past board member.

Schmidt also served as chairwoman for Meyer's failed campaign to unseat state Rep. Anna Moeller in November.

Elgin OCTAVE Chairman Chuck Keysor said he was "distressed" by the objection filed by Chapman, which did not represent a formal action by the group.

"I'm happy (Scifert) is off the hook," he said, pointing out the group has been active in getting people to run for office. "It is not our business to kick people off of ballots."

Scifert, a detective with the Aurora Police Department and company commander for the Illinois Army National Guard, questioned Chapman's motives. Chapman called the date mistake "egregious."

"I can only surmise that he said that because he is a man without error, a man without mistake," Scifert said.

Chapman said he simply wanted to take part in the electoral process. "I didn't know how interesting it was going to be."

Eleven candidates are running for city council seats, plus Kaptain and mayoral challenger Joseph Galvan.