Six challenges to election petitions for next year’s city election in Aurora were heard Friday but continued to other days for procedural reasons.
The challenges were heard by a city electoral board made up of three Aurora officials. The city has engaged attorney Ross Secler, an election attorney the city often uses in electoral questions, to advise the board.
The challenges hinge on the question of whether or not candidates have enough legitimate signatures on their petitions. That apparently will center around everything from whether signatories are legitimate voters and residents to whether or not signatures were gathered correctly.
Two challenges – one against signatures of mayoral candidate Jazmine Garcia and another against alderman-at-large candidate Arianna Dahlmann – will require a records exam by county clerk offices for the counties involved.
The checks will be done in the county clerk offices in Kane, DuPage and Will counties.
In the case of Jazmine Garcia, attorney John Fogerty, representing complainant Tara Loza, said the claim is that Garcia did not have enough valid signatures. The complainant also said Garcia did not follow proper procedure in collecting the signatures.
In the case of Dahlman, objector Salik Khalid said she did not have enough valid signatures.
The Jazmine Garcia hearing was rescheduled for arguments before the electoral board on Nov. 18. The hearing for Dahlmann will be heard before the board Nov. 22. Both times the board will convene at 8 a.m. in the council chambers at Aurora City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place.
A records check is done when signatures themselves are questioned. The county clerk’s office will compare the signatures to those on file in the clerk’s office, where voter registration is taken.
On Nov. 18, the board also will hear the complaint filed to petitions filed by mayoral candidate Ald. John Laesch, at large, also filed by Loza.
Fogerty said the complaint against Laesch’s petitions centers on questions about how the signatures were collected, and will not need a records check.
The questions on how the signatures were collected apparently will be based on whether the candidates circulated their petitions at a meeting and had signatories sign multiple petitions. Fogerty said that violates election law in non-partisan elections.
But attorney Ed Mullen, representing both Laesch and Jazmine Garcia, said there is an appellate court ruling that allows multiple collections. Mullen will file to dismiss the cases, which will be heard on their respective dates.
Loza also filed a challenge to the petitions for mayoral candidate Karina Garcia. That will not require a records check for that challenge because it is based on an alleged failure to file a proper economic interest statement, the candidate not registering from the address shown on the petitions and the manner of how the signatures were gathered, Fogerty said.
That hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Nov. 20 at City Hall. Karina Garcia is represented by attorney Kari-Lyn Krafthafer.
A complaint filed by Richard S. Better against the petitions of Jose Torres, a candidate for 4th Ward alderman, also will need a records check. Attorney Emmanual Llamas, representing Better, said not enough signatures on Torres’ petitions are valid.
The hearing for that objection will be Nov. 22.
Another objection was filed by Ald. Brandon Tolliver to the petitions of one of those challenging him in the 7th Ward, Saul Fultz III. Tolliver said his challenge is that Fultz did not turn in enough signatures.
But Fultz said not only does he contest that, but he thinks Tolliver’s complaint should be thrown out because he did not follow proper procedure in filing the complaint.
That objection also will be argued Nov. 22.
Because that issue involved paperwork issued by Aurora City Clerk Jennifer Stallings, she said she should recuse herself from the electoral board for that complaint discussion.
The city electoral board is generally made up of the city clerk, the mayor and the alderman with the most seniority. That would be Stallings, Mayor Richard Irvin and Ald. Michael Saville, 6th Ward.
In the case of the three complaints to mayoral candidate petitions, because Irvin is also a mayoral candidate, he recused himself from hearing those three complaints.
In that case, the aldermen with the second most seniority – Ald. Juany Garza, 2nd Ward – replaces him on the board. In the situation where Stallings recused herself, Garza also will fill in.
slord@tribpub.com
