HOMER GLEN – Write-in candidates have forced a primary in Homer Glen before the spring elections.
The write-in campaign includes 23 candidates who mounted the effort after two candidates were thrown off the April 7 ballot over a question of proper paperwork. Now, those two candidates and others can get on the ballot if they win the Feb. 24 primary.
Trustee George Yukich sought to challenge Homer Glen Mayor James Daley in April and pulled the petitions to file as a mayoral candidate. When those petitions are filed with the village, they require a receipt that a “statement of economic interest” has been filed with the county clerk.
Village Clerk Gale Skrobuton said Yukich and Beth Rogers, a village board candidate, filed the statement itself with the village.
“The job of the village clerk is just to accept the petitions, not to analyze them,” Skrobuton said. “People can request copies of candidates’ petitions, so one resident did so and filed an objection.”
Skrobuton said the village electoral board met and removed Yukich and Rogers from the ballot because their paperwork was improper.
Yukich said the lack of receipt was an innocent mistake that occurred when he went to the county clerk’s office on Oct. 17 to have his statement of economic interest stamped.
“As we were going through the paperwork, an employee there said it should be attached to the filing [for the village]. She was from the tax section, but was helping out in elections that afternoon,” Yukich said. “What she said made sense, so I don’t blame her.”
After Yukich and Rogers were removed from the ballot, they learned a primary is required if more than four times the number of candidates on the ballot petition to run as write-ins. After speaking with supporters who learned from Facebook of the ballot removal, enough write-ins filed to require the primary election.
The top two candidates for mayor and village clerk and top six for village trustee from the primary will then appear printed on the ballots of the April 7 election, Skrobuton said.
Daley remains the only candidate printed on the primary ballot, but Yukich, Broque Backal, Mike Costa, Peter Kula and Jeffery Rogers have filed as write-ins.
“Having the village races as the only primary election that day will give the people a choice, which is what we wanted,” Yukich said. “I do want to be mayor, but if it turns out more people want one of the other write-ins, they’re making a choice for that.”
Skrobuton, the only candidate on the ballot for village clerk, will be challenged by write-ins Camille Anello, Gia Cassin, Ann Holtz, Jane Nativo and Sharon O’Neill.
Village trustee candidates Marcia DeVivo, Kevin Hoffmeister and Jay Bradarich are on the ballots. Write-ins will be Rogers, Cameron Anello, Jim Cahill, Carlo Caprio, Susan Kula, Shana Murphy, Christina Neitzke-Troike, Sean O’Neil, Mark Pahios, Dave Pajeau, George Porter, John Rochetto and Laurel Ward.
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ON THE BALLOT
• Mayor: James P. Daley Jr.
• Village Trustee: Marcia DeVivo, Kevin Hoffmeister, Jay M. Bradarich Sr.
• Village Clerk: Gale Skrobuton.
WRITE-INS
• Mayor: Broque Backal, Mike Costa, Peter Kula, Jeffrey Rodgers, George L. Yuikich.
• Village Trustee: Cameron Anello, Jim Cahill, Carlo Caprio, Susan Kula, Shana D. Murphy, Christina Neitzke-Troike, Sean O'Neill, Mark Pahios, Dave Pajeau, George Porter, John Rochetto, Beth Rodgers, Laurel Ward.
• Village Clerk: Camille Anello, Gia Cassin, Ann Holtz, Jane Nativo, Sharon O'Neill.