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Petition Challenges Proliferate In Bloomington

Staff
/
WGLT

There are far more candidate petition challenges in Bloomington than usual this year . A total of six were filed before the Monday evening deadline.

They all came from conservative critics of Bloomington government who have spoken or published about their desire to remove existing office holders.

Election Commission Director Paul Shannon said in his seven years at the commission there have been only two challenges filed until this year, and then only single challenges in different election cycles.

Shannon said the state election code is precise about notifications and scheduling the start of hearings.

"I have 24 hours to notify the Chair of an objection. She has 48 hours after she has been notified to notify the other commissioners and the objectioner and petitioner of the hearing date and that the objection has been filed. And then we have three to five days after she has been notified to set the objection hearing," said Shannon.

All hearings will begin this Friday, but Shannon said they will likely be continued.

"We have to establish the rules. We have to hear the evidence presented by the objector. Then we have to hear the response from the petitioner. Then we have to research the evidence and call any witnesses, said Shannon.

Shannon acknowledged the schedule is tight.

"The primary is February 28th. The challenges have to be resolved and all possible court cases have to be resolved before we can go to ballot," said Shannon.

Early voting starts forty days before the election. Shannon said that means the deadline to resolve challenges in the Mayoral contest is about mid January.    

One petition challenge filed by council candidate Guadelupe Diaz has already resulted in the abandonment of the race by one of Diaz's Fifth Ward opponents, Jeffrey Fox. Fox will not be on the ballot. Fifth Ward Alderman Joni Painter's petitions are also questioned by council critic Bruce Meeks.

In Ward Three, Meeks has challenged the papers of candidate J. Balmer.

Meeks also wants to kick Mayoral candidate Diana Hauman off the ballot.

And Mayor Tari Renner must answer two such filings, one by Kevin Gerrard, the other by Meeks.

WGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker has spent more than three award-winning decades in radio. He lives in Normal with his family.
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