Campton Hills write-in candidates challenged
A challenge has been filed against the write-in candidacies of Campton Hills Village President Patsy Smith and three others for trustee.
Resident James P. Newman argues the forms given to Interim Village Clerk John Strauss last week are invalid because they were submitted to him at his home instead of village hall.
"I just want it done right. I'm a stickler for the rules," said Newman, adding he was not anti-Smith and supported her in the last two elections. "I have no problem with Patsy. I've been a big supporter of her in the village. The law is the law and they've got to file it in the clerk's office."
It was not immediately clear Thursday whether the challenge would be heard by the village's electoral board or a Kane County judge.
A message left for village attorney William Braithwaite was not immediately returned. Strauss could not be reached for comment.
Smith, a driving force behind the village's incorporation in 2007 and the only president in Campton Hills history, said she followed the law.
Smith said she filed a declaration to run as a write-in candidate and did not file nominating petitions, which require signatures from registered voters.
"I don't think (Newman) has interpreted the law right, based upon what I read," Smith said. "I haven't talked to anyone who says I'm wrong. The state needs to fix the election code."
Smith and Trustee Harry Blecker are both running for village president.
Blecker will be on the April 7 ballot and Smith is running as a write-in candidate, along with Mike Turgeon and Don Scheluga for trustee.
Trustees Laura Anderson and Susan George also are seeking re-election; Michael O'Dwyer is seeking a trustee seat and rounds out Blecker's slate.
All three names will be on the April 7 ballot. If Steve Galloway, one of Smith's allies, gets enough write-in votes in the Feb. 24 primary, his name also will be added to the April 7 ballot.
Newman also is challenging Galloway's write-in status for the April 7 election, but a judge already has ordered a primary to determine if Galloway will be on the April ballot.
Blecker said Thursday his camp had nothing to do with the latest election challenge. Smith unsuccessfully challenged the petitions of Blecker, George, O'Dwyer and Anderson in December.
Ken Shepro, an attorney who likely will represent Smith in the ballot challenge, said Strauss was about to leave last week to take his grandson to a college visit. Since there is no deputy clerk, he said one option was to personally deliver papers to Strauss at his home.
Shepro believes the write-in candidacies of Smith and the others will be upheld.
"The essence of the objection is that all of the candidates who filed as a write-in for April 7 is they turned in their paperwork to John Strauss at his house before the deadline and it is not filed at village hall and they are therefore defective," Shepro said. "(Newman) doesn't have a good argument. Plus, he used all the wrong terminology."
Newman said he doesn't buy the argument that Strauss was allowed to accept the write-in papers at his house.
"At some point, things have to be done right," Newman said. "Somebody has to be at the clerk's office to accept documents. Patsy appoints (Strauss) and meets him behind closed doors. That's not the way government should be run. It should be out in the open."