Objections challenging the nominating papers for Galesburg mayoral candidate Anthony Law and Ward 2 candidate Wendel Hunigan seek to disqualify the candidates from running in the April 1 consolidated election.
The board of election commissioners for the city of Galesburg will consider the objections and arguments at a hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, in council chambers at city hall.
Law, a political newcomer who filed to run against incumbent Peter Schwartzman and former mayor John Pritchard, faces two challenges to his nominating papers.
The first was filed by Louise Wilder and the second was filed by Darla Krejci, Jeannette Chernin, and Holly McDorman.
Both were filed Nov. 25 and argue Law’s nominating papers are invalid because the pages were not numbered, as required by state statute.
The objections also assert that dozens of signatures in Law’s petitions are not valid, either because they aren’t from registered voters, are not registered at the address listed on the petitions, or are “ambiguous” addresses, because they don’t include apartment numbers.
Election code mandates signers must be registered voters in the political subdivision in which the candidate is seeking nomination or election, and they must be registered at the address shown on the petition.
Another signature in Law’s petitions is contested because it was provided by a power of attorney for an individual, rather than the individual.
“In all, we are objecting to the following 94 signatures,” reads the objection from Krejci, Chernin, and McDorman.
The objectors argue if those 94 signatures were to be removed, Law “will not have sufficient valid signatures to qualify,” it states.
Law is the coordinator of diversity and inclusion at Carl Sandburg College.
Two objections were also filed against Hunigan, a retired professor of sociology and anthropology at Sandburg who is challenging incumbent Wayne Dennis for the Ward 2 seat.
The objections are identical, except for the names and addresses of the complainants, Perry Darrah and Brad Fell.
They were filed Nov. 25 and request that Hunigan’s name be removed from the April 1 ballot because he signed Dennis’ nominating petition before filing to run for the same seat.
The brief objections do not cite relevant statutes or case law, and they both misspell Hunigan’s first and last name.
According to the agenda for Monday's hearing, the board of election commissioners for the city of Galesburg constitutes ex officio the duly constituted electoral board for the hearing. The board’s court-appointed commissioners are David Christensen, Veronica Peoples, and Roger Williamson.
Also per state statute, objections to nominating papers are subject to judicial review.
There will also be a public comment session at Monday’s hearing.
