According to villager Bruce Samuels [Democrats trying to keep Greens off ballot, Viewpoints, July 26], Democrats challenged at least nine Oak Parkers, including myself, who signed a Green Party petition for candidates running for Illinois’ top offices. In the Cook County signature binder check, the objection, “not registered at address shown” was applied to two present village trustees, one former village trustee, one township trustee, two Oak Park attorneys and three women activists.
Does this mean the Democrats will deny us the right to vote in the November 7, 2006 election? Most people, who signed the Green Party petition for ballot access want choices. For six weeks, I have helped Kathy Cummings, a friend, who is a Green Party candidate for Illinois state representative in the Humboldt/Wicker Parks/Ukrainian Village areas.
First it was signature binder checks at the Chicago Board of Elections (CBOE), after the Democrat incumbent’s secretary objected to 2,440 of 3,494 submitted signers (1,531 needed). One lesson to learn for petition signing-write your printed name and address legibly, if not your signature.
At night, Cummings’ volunteer team went to homes of challenged voters to have them sign affidavits, swearing they were the person at the address on the petition. People were upset that the Democrats questioned their signatures and/or addresses and were concerned that the Democrats would deny them their future right to vote, based on these challenges.
The CBOE hearings were led by an attorney who is the brother of an Illinois Democratic state representative. Democratic Party Treasurer/lawyer Mike Kasper was assigned the job of eliminating the validity of Cummings’ signatures. He used the word “forgery” regarding the affidavits, because he said the people who signed the petitions and affidavits were not necessarily the ones who signed the voter registration cards.
What is the taxpayer cost for this “play-by-the-rules” process and the overtime hours for CBOE staff? How could the incumbent’s secretary/objector pay for high-priced Democratic lawyers, Kasper and his protg, Elias Mossos? When asked who paid their salaries, one of the lawyers said he’d rather not say. When asked about filing a Freedom of Information Act request to find out, he said it wasn’t public money, it was private.
On Aug. 9, before the CBOE, Cummings’ pro bono attorney, Andrew B. Spiegel, introduced a motion regarding a 2000 unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision that related to this situation which indicated that Cummings needed 1,108 signatures instead of 1,531.
CBOE commissioners Langdon D. Neal and Theresa M. Petrone voted to deny this motion and to deny Cummings a place on the ballot. Petrone read a prepared motion to this effect after both ignored affidavits which put Cummings over the top. Kasper told Cummings, “This is a harsh business,” a statement that Neal reiterated. Cummings’ volunteers hoped for honesty and justice.
Have the Democrats forgotten the fundamental definition of democracy-the principle of equality of rights, opportunity and treatment?
Barbara Alexander Mullarkey
Oak Park