A candidate for the Illinois Central College trustee board remains on the ballot for the April 4 consolidated election after a hearing on Monday.
Candidate Jodi Peine faced an objection from private citizen Robert Hanauer, who questioned some empty lines and unfilled spaces on a circulator’s affidavit, and four signatures on Peine’s nominating papers.
The education officers electoral board, consisting of ICC board trustees Diane Lamb, Megan Archdale and Bettsey Barhorst, found there were unfilled spaces on the affidavit and three of the four objected signatures were legitimate, according to Tazewell County officials.
The board found the fourth signature showed an address inconsistent with the voter’s registration records, which would make it illegitimate and bring Peine below the 50 signatures required to be on the ballot.
“I really feel it’s just too close to call,” said electoral board member Diane Lamb during the board’s deliberations. “These are my personal feelings, I really don’t have anything else to say.”
The board voted unanimously to overrule Hanauer’s objections to the unfilled affidavit spaces and the three legitimate signatures, and they voted 2-1 to overrule Hanauer’s objection to the fourth canceled signature, with Archdale dissenting.
This means, pending an appeal, Peine will remain on the April ballot.
“It’s wrong,” said Hanauer afterward. “But that’s, I’ll leave it at that, the law is very clear. And I think people just didn’t feel comfortable ruling consistent with the law.”
During the hearing, Peine argued she has more than 40 years of education experience and had a very limited amount of time to collect the signatures. She said she entered the race after being approached by a current ICC board trustee just three days before the filing deadline.
“So, I had Friday, Saturday and Sunday to get them signed,” said Peine. “Which was quite a challenge.”
She was pleased with the decision.
“I had 33 years in public education, took a year off for retirement and then went to parochial school for 11 years,” she said. “I've got two published books and numerous articles and professional journals. So I've got a background.”
Hanauer hasn’t decided whether or not he will appeal the board’s decision.
“I’m weighing the decision to do so,” he said.
