THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: Danville City Council Ward 1 candidate Jaleel Jones smiles after being allowed again to stay on the April 1st election ballot.
DANVILLE — The wide smile said it all for Ward 1 Alderman candidate Jaleel Jones when he heard that he, again, will remain on the April 1 ballot.
No new evidence on either side was presented at a Danville Election Commission re-hearing Wednesday afternoon. Instead of two commissioners the first time, due to the recent death of a commissioner, it was three commissioners this time who voted to deny an objection petition by Ward 7 Alderman Darren York against Jones’ candidate paperwork and allow Jones to remain on the ballot.
Danville Election Commissioners Tom Mellen and Frank Young in December ruled that Jones can remain on ballot. Those two commissioners and new commissioner Katie Osterbur made the decision in the re-hearing.
Another hearing for the complaint occurred due to the Danville Election Commission not posting an agenda for the December meeting at least 48 hours in advance as required by the Open Meetings Act. A complaint about the alleged violation was filed with the Public Access Bureau of the Attorney General’s Office.
Danville Election Commission Executive Director Sandy Delhaye said it was her responsibility to post the agenda on the commission’s website, and it wasn’t ahead of time. She said the hearing wasn’t a regular commission meeting and she hadn’t posted it.
Commission Attorney John Beardsley conducted the re-hearing in a larger second-floor Vermilion County Board conference room, with several more attendees than the first hearing and a couple public comments.
With his complaint, York claimed Jones’ nominating papers were not filled out correctly because they stated he was running for alderman and not specifically Ward 1 alderman.
Jones is challenging incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Robert Williams.
The commission again stated York, as the objector, doesn’t live within Ward 1 and therefore lacks standing to object to Jones’ petition.
It also was noted that Jones’ nominating papers still had enough registered voter signatures required, despite some being removed due to ineligibility; and despite Jones’ papers not listing Ward 1 but only alderman as the position he’s running for, York provided no case law or statutory authority which specifically indicates that ‘alderman’ without a ward number is insufficient.
Jones’ attorney, Molly Gregory, said there is only one alderperson position for whom someone living at Jones’ address could run, and that is alderman, Ward 1.
York had no comment after the re-hearing.
“I’m just happy the outcome is the same as it was before,” Jones said.
Jones, who is an intern with Seven Point cannabis dispensary, is happy to be on the ballot and have the chance to be elected. At the first hearing, he talked about being a victim of gun violence, with his brother being killed as a result, and being a young African American male wanting to run for alderman to make a difference.
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