Two candidates defeated challenges to their nominating papers before Evanston’s Electoral Board today, while two others ended up being removed from the ballot.
The candidates who won were Eric Young, running for 3rd Ward alderman, and Rebeca Mendoza, running for 5th Ward alderman.
Both faced challenges centered around whether they had complied with requirements in state election law that their papers be bound together in some fashion when submitted.
The board majority appeared to be convinced that the lack of a stapler or any other fastening device at the city clerk’s office where the papers were turned in and statements from the deputy city clerk that they could turn their un-bound papers in as is, created enough of an issue to justify not applying the binding requirement strictly.
But the board upheld a challenge against Shelley Ann Carillo, who had sought to run for 8th Ward alderman but failed to specify on her nominating petitions which ward she was seeking to represent.
And Jane Grover, who filed papers to run for city clerk, withdrew her effort to overturn the complaint filed against her petitions by Allie Harned. Harned had claimed that Grover had not submitted enough valid petition signatures, and Grover said that after consulting with legal counsel she doubted she would be able to win on appeal.
She thanked friends who had circulated petitions for her in the midst of the pandemic and said she hoped the state legislature would adopt reforms to permit electronic signatures on petitions in the future.
Grover’s removal from the ballot means there’s no contest in the clerk’s race, with Stephanie Mendoza the only candidate whose name will appear on the April ballot for that position.
The board is scheduled to reconvene at 9 a.m. Friday to deal with the one remaining case — a challenge from Yve Russel to the candidacy of incumbent 7th Ward Alderman Eleanor Revelle. That dispute centers around whether Revelle’s statement of candidacy had to be bound together with her petitions.