Buffalo Grove board candidate will run as write-in

A Buffalo Grove village board hopeful taken off the ballot last month is making a comeback as a write-in candidate.

Jeffrey Battinus was removed from the race Jan. 7 by the Buffalo Grove Electoral Board, which sided with incumbent Trustee Andrew Stein's challenge that claimed the candidate failed to provide a receipt for filing a mandatory statement of economic interest by the Dec. 26 deadline.

As a result, the election left three incumbent trustee candidates — Stein, Beverly Sussman and Lester Ottenheimer III — for three seats in the April 9 election.

Battinus said Sunday he filed his write-in candidacy about a month ago, “but I wanted to wait until I had the confirmation from Lake and Cook county before I let anybody know.”

He said he was disappointed that he was pulled off the ballot.

“More than anything, I was disappointed the voters in Buffalo Grove — after Andrew Stein was successful in his objection — had no choice of who to elect for village trustee,” he added.

Members of the electoral board expressed sympathy with Battinus' plight during a January hearing but said they were given no choice — the law offered no wiggle room.

Battinus said he is “100 percent sure” that he has done everything correctly in filing his write-in candidacy.

“This is an important election and significant issues lie ahead,“ he said, “and the voters deserve to at least have a choice among candidates running for trustee.

“With my candidacy the voters of Buffalo Grove will be able to actually select from a pool of four candidates for three trustee positions who best reflect the community view of the future,” Battinus added.