Four kicked off Hampshire ballot

One candidate for Hampshire village president and three for trustee have been bounced from the April ballot after electoral boards upheld objections claiming their nominating petitions were flawed.

All four, two of whom are incumbent trustees, intend to run in the consolidated election as write-in candidates.

Ten objections were filed last month against eight candidates, village attorney Mark Schuster said. During hearings earlier this month, electoral boards sided with the objectors in four cases, removing from the ballot Katherine Basham, who challenged incumbent Jeff Magnussen for village president; newcomer Don Edmonson, who was running for trustee; and Trustees Mike Armato and George Brust.

An objection against Basham, filed by Magnussen, accused her of failing to appropriately bind her candidacy paperwork, which was submitted in an envelope but not otherwise secured, Schuster said. An electoral board made up of trustees Michael Reid, Martin Ebert and Toby Koth upheld that objection.

The objection also took issue with some signatures on Basham's petition, but that claim was overruled, Schuster said. A second objection filed by Brust was dismissed.

Basham, however, argues that Magnussen's objection should not have been considered because the paperwork was not properly time-stamped. Her accusations were stricken before the hearing, Schuster said.

Rather than appeal the electoral board's decision, which would cost herself and taxpayers money, Basham said she plans to file this week as a write-in candidate.

"We'll see what happens in April," she said.

In the race for Hampshire trustee, one 2-year term and three 4-year terms are open. Candidates who do not specify for which seat they are running are considered to have not properly identified their intended office, he said.

That was the case in the objections upheld against Armato, Brust and Edmonson, all of which were submitted by trustee candidate Carl Palmisano, Schuster said.

Armato was also booted from the ballot for not having enough signatures on his petition, and neither he nor Edmonson had a receipt for filing statements of economic interest. Brust's nominating papers were also found to be out of order.

An electoral board comprising Magnussen, Ebert and Clerk Linda Vasquez saw all three cases.

Armato and Brust said they have already submitted their papers to run as a write-in candidate. Edmonson plans to file his next week.