Roselle clerk candidate not running, but still on ballot

Two names will appear on the April 7 ballot in the race for Roselle village clerk, but one of the candidates will be happy if she loses.

Tracy Hoover withdrew from the contest on Feb. 23 - weeks after the Feb. 5 deadline to have her name removed from the official ballot. Hoover said she dropped out after learning the job is a part-time position.

Her opponent, Patty Burns, said Hoover's decision takes a weight off her shoulders, but she's disappointed any votes Hoover musters will still count.

"It seems to me today in this electronic age they should be able to put an 'X' in her name on the ballot," Burns said.

Doreen Nelson, assistant executive director of the DuPage County Election Commission, said a name can be removed from the ballot after the deadline if the decision is made "within a reasonable time."

But Hoover's withdrawal did not come soon enough. Absentee ballots already had been created for military voting, which began Feb. 23, and for civilian absentee residents, which began Feb. 26, Nelson said.

If Hoover happens to win, Nelson said she could decline the post.

Burns said she plans to proceed with the campaign she planned because she wants residents to learn about her service to Roselle.

"I'm glad it takes a little pressure off, but I'm just going to continue with the strategy of fundraisers, e-mail blasts and yard signs I was preparing," Burns said. "I think I've got good recognition in the community, but I still want people to know who it is that's running and put a face with the name."

Burns has served 14 years as a Roselle Park District commissioner and on the village's Tax Increment Financing District Commission. She also has served 18 years on the Taste of Roselle Committee and six years on the St. Walter's Catholic School Board.