Nelson taking two aldermanic ballot challenge decisions to court

1 comment January 12th, 2009

Democratic attorney (and Rockford mayoral candidate) John Nelson is challenging the city election board’s decision to throw Bill Robertson off the Democratic primary’s 14th ward aldermanic ballot, and Charles Elliot off the 2nd ward ballot.

Nelson doesn’t believe the state appellate court decision that the board used to make its determination is correct. Last fall, the appellate court  said that a candidate can be thrown off the party primary’s ballot if he or she has voted in the other party’s primary during the last year.

Nelson is challenging that court ruling, asking for judicial review. The process will start Thursday morning at 9 in front of Circuit Judge Ron Pirello. Nelson said he’ll take it as far as the U.S. Supreme Court if he has to. Don’t know if he can get a decision in time for Robertson and Elliott to be put on the primary ballot.

Nelson characterizes the appellate decision that sparked the ballot challenges as judicial activism run amok.

“Obviously people want to take advantage of the structure of the parties, based on nationally based philosophy, and that has real meaning in local elections,” he said. The court restricted citizens’ ability to take advantage of such associations, he believes.

“Charlie is a guy who’s voted in both parties’ primaries, and for Bill Robertson, 2008 was the only time he’s taken a Republican ballot.”