Objectors want 2 names off Campton Hills ballot

Two Campton Hills residents have filed objections over election paperwork in an attempt to have two candidates seeking village offices thrown off the Feb. 5 primary ballot.

One objection seeks to keep village president hopeful Robert Young off the ballot because he was not registered to vote when he filed his statement of candidacy Nov. 7 and also because Young listed himself as a candidate for "nomination" rather than "election."

The other objection, which was handwritten, claims village clerk candidate Carolyn Higgins should not be able to run because she listed herself as a resident of unincorporated St. Charles instead of Campton Hills in election filings.

Both Young and Higgins are among a slate of eight candidates promising to dissolve the newly formed village, which narrowly won incorporation rights in a referendum last spring.

The objections were filed Monday -- the last day to do so -- by resident Vincent Schuster, who is challenging Higgins' paperwork, and resident Ed Fiala, who is challenging Young's.

Neither Young nor Higgins could be reached for comment Tuesday.

But Young, who moved to Campton Hills from Arizona about two years ago, said last week he didn't register to vote until Nov. 18, after someone pointed out he hadn't already done so.

Candidates must be registered voters, at least 18 years old and live in the municipality in which they are running.

But Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said last week candidates have to be registered only in time to vote in the upcoming election. Cunningham was responding to general questions from the Daily Herald after Young brought up his registration delay.

Young is running against Village President Patsy Smith, who led the incorporation push and was appointed to the village board this year.

Higgins is going up against resident Karen Dowd; both want to replace appointed Village Clerk Rebecca Lambe, who isn't running.

As for who will decide whether the objections are valid remains to be seen.

A Kane County judge Monday removed four village officials from an electoral board that was set to hear unrelated objections. The panel was scratched after an attorney complained the members would be biased.

A new electoral board is expected to be formed by Kane County Chief Judge Donald Hudson in coming days. A hearing is set for 1 p.m. today at the Kane County Courthouse, 100 S. Third St., Geneva.