7 Democrats returned to Will County Board ballot
From Staff Reports September 12, 2012 5:04PM
Updated: October 15, 2012 9:35AM
OTTAWA — A ruling by the 3rd District Appellate Court will put seven Democratic candidates for Will County Board back on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Scott Pyles, chairman of the Democratic Party and one of the attorneys who worked on the appeal, said he was informed of the court’s decision Wednesday.
The ruling reverses one by the Will County Electoral Board that had then been upheld in Will County Circuit Court.
“The decisions of the Will County Circuit Court and the Will County Officers Electoral Board are reversed,” the court’s ruling reads in part.
Pyles said the court has ordered that the plaintiffs’ names be immediately placed on the ballot.
Earlier, Pyles had told The Herald-News that a ruling by the appellate court would be final as any subsequent Illinois Supreme Court ruling would be too late for the election.
The electoral board had voted 2-1 in favor of removal because of problems with the way the candidates were appointed to the ballot. Judge Bobbi Petrungaro later affirmed that decision.
None of the Democrats ran in the primary, so the Will County Democratic Party met in May to form committees that appointed candidates in some races.
Notification to precinct committeemen of that meeting was vague or nonexistent, argued Republicans who challenged the appointments.
Democrats argued that their meeting notice substantially complied with the law and that there is some leeway given to political parties to handle ballot appointments.
Candidates who were booted off the ballot are: Mario Carlasare, Frankfort; Donald Moran, Romeoville; Reed Bible, Plainfield; Chester Strzelczyk III, Lockport; Chris Griffin, Naperville; Santino Lettieri, Mokena; and John Sanchez Jr., Mokena.
Recently, Bible was named to replace on the ballot a Democratic candidate who had withdrawn from the race.
Pyles said he did not know if Democrats now would be able to name someone to replace Bible.
