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Raila off the ballot… kinda

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Illinois

For now at least, a vote for Andrea Raila in the Democratic primary for Cook County assessor won’t count.

Circuit Judge Robert Bertucci on Tuesday agreed with a county Electoral Board decision to kick Raila out of the primary race against Assessor Joe Berrios. The board determined her campaign engaged in a “pattern of fraud” while collecting nominating petition signatures.

But Bertucci denied a motion by primary rival Fritz Kaegi asking to remove Raila’s name from city and county ballots and touch screens. Election authorities said doing so was “impossible” this close to the March 20 election.

Instead, officials will provide notices that votes for Raila won’t count. And they’ve agreed to print notices in newspapers, including the Tribune, advising voters of that fact.

* Sun-Times…

“It’s not a perfect world,” Circuit Judge Robert W. Bertucci said after election officials argued it’s too late to physically remove Raila’s name from printed ballots or electronic touchscreen voting machines.

Instead, voters will receive printed notices in their polling places that any votes for Raila will not be counted. Election officials also said they will place legal notices in newspapers. They even offered to pay for broadcast commercials to spread the word. […]

Raila’s lawyer, Frank Avila Jr., said he will appeal. […]

[Circuit Judge Robert Bertucci] acquiesced to the election officials when they told him election tabulating equipment used in the precincts would not work properly if Raila’s name was removed from the electronic ballots but left on the paper ballots. Both systems are used in polling places, then the voting results merged. […]

A similar situation is unfolding in the race for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Cook County Clerk David Orr, where lawyer Jan Kowalski McDonald filed petitions to run against Karen Yarbrough, who currently holds the office of county recorder.

McDonald was kicked off the ballot, but her case won’t be heard in court until March 7th. Sheesh.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:02 am

Comments

Fitting, as they followed the rules…kinda

Comment by Anonish Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:17 am
If city and county can’t remove her name from a digital ballot, they have a lousy system. And what good does a notice in the newspaper do? How about directly notifying voters at early voting sites with a flyer when they show up to vote?

Comment by Roman Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:17 am
Raila’s frivolous appeal benefits nobody other than Berrios. Her feigned outrage is becoming tiresome.

The only possible positive outcome is that election boards will have a new case precedent demonstrating what constitutes a “pattern of fraud.”

Comment by Practical Politics Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:21 am
This whole cycle is bizarre and a mess.

==How about directly notifying voters at early voting sites with a flyer when they show up to vote?==

Imagine showing up at the polls, with no context whatsoever, and being told that if you vote for a particular candidate, your vote for her won’t count. Apart from reinforcing the whole “vote early and often” motif of Cook County politics, his would cause an immense headache for poll workers.

Comment by TKMH Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:23 am
== How about directly notifying voters at early voting sites with a flyer when they show up to vote?==

The city board & clerk’s office have done this in the past and will be doing it here too. My understanding is that paid ads in newspaper are on top of notices at election sites.

==If city and county can’t remove her name from a digital ballot, they have a lousy system==

Absolutely, it’s the same equipment since 2006. The city & county have been calling on Federal gov to provide funding for new equipment.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:39 am
That’s pretty shady

Comment by Thomas Zane Stepp Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 11:13 am
++ - Roman - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:17 am:
If city and county can’t remove her name from a digital ballot, they have a lousy system. ++

The programs used in vote tabulation systems do not permit the line up of candidates on the paper optical scan ballots to be different from what is on the DRE (touch screen) ballots. That is a feature, not a bug.

Comment by titan Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 11:37 am
Election challenges need reform. These objections are ridiculous.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 4:31 pm