THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BAILEY
The above is a News-Gazette file photo
DANVILLE — Thursday’s deadline passed without an election petition appeal by former Danville Area Community College President Stephen Nacco.
Nacco ended up not appealing the DACC Electoral Board’s decision to remove him from the April ballot as a candidate for the school’s board of trustees.
Nacco, who retired Friday, had five days to appeal last week’s decision. He had said “what they did is perfectly fine,” when the DACC Electoral Board voted 2-1 to accept objector Lynn McLinden’s petition to remove Nacco from the consolidated election ballot.
The electoral board is made up of DACC trustees Greg Wolfe, Sandra Finch and Tracy Cherry.
Cherry voted to keep Nacco on the ballot, saying she didn’t feel the electoral board was qualified to make the decision.
McLinden’s objection claimed Nacco’s candidate paperwork was not filled out correctly and he did not have enough valid signatures from registered voters.
The DACC Electoral Board’s ruling was based on Nacco not having the needed 50 signatures from registered voters on his paperwork. The board disqualified 33 signatures and multiple sheets of Nacco’s paperwork due to addresses not being correct, some not being registered voters, and Nacco not filling in portions of the paperwork with the community college district number and Nacco’s state of residence.
McLinden had said if the board ruled Nacco could remain on the ballet, he would’ve appealed the decision in court.
Finch said the board looked at the evidence on both sides, and explained why the 33 signatures and sheets of Nacco’s paperwork were being disqualified. She said the board talked to Vermilion County Supervisor of Elections Carrie Wilson and also the Danville Election Commission for verification. With the board disqualifying 33 signatures, that left 39 of the needed 50.
DACC will elect three trustees in April. Two are for six-year appointments — currently held by Wolfe and Cherry, who is not seeking re-election. The other, a four-year seat, was vacated by the resignation of board Chair Dave Harby.
His daughter-in-law, Caroline Harby is the only candidate who filed to fill that term.
Running for DACC’s other two seats are Wolfe and newcomers Lisa Martin, Aaron Biggs, Laura Williams and Amanda Krabbe.
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