PJ Trautman and Electoral Board

There are some new objections for county candidates (details on the last failed objection for another candidate here). I don't have all the details on the other objections yet, but one is an issue with rules on running as a candidate for a different party than he voted with in the primary.

 
More on the objection with PJ Trautman and Democratic calls for the Clerk to recuse himself form the Electoral Board (what is an Electoral Board? More here.) hearing the objection from the News-Gazette last week:

Dems accuse county clerk of trying to impede candidacy challenge
Leaders of the Champaign County Democratic Party issued a demand Thursday that Republican County Clerk Gordy Hulten recuse himself from a hearing on a legal challenge to the candidacy of a GOP county board hopeful — a challenge they allege he tried to stymie.

In a release issued Thursday evening, county Democratic Party Chairwoman Maryam Ar-Raheem, Vice Chairman Wayne Williams and former Chairman Al Klein allege that on his statement of candidacy, P.J. Trautman, the Republican hopeful for county board District 6, falsely reported that he was a Republican primary voter. They claim Trautman actually voted in the Democratic primary in March, which they said makes him ineligible to run for office as a Republican in the same election cycle.

The Democrats allege that, up until he was contacted by an attorney from the Illinois Democratic County Chairs' Association, Hulten refused to allow Trautman's candidacy statement to be inspected.

"Nobody was denied access to anything," he said in response. "Several people asked for copies of documents just prior to the holiday weekend, and often made differing and conflicting requests. After their requests were clarified, we responded with the documents as soon as we were able, during an incredibly busy season for our office."

...

However, Hulten said Illinois law designates him, as county clerk, to chair a potential electoral board, except in cases where the office he is seeking is disputed.

"That is not the case here, and so if an electoral board is convened for these objections, I will chair it, as I have, without issue, all such boards during my eight years as clerk," he said.

Full article here. I hope to be able to attend this Electoral Board on Wednesday. If I can I'll put updates here.