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Glendale Heights officials could decide next week whether Village President Chodri Khokhar gets to remain on the spring ballot in his bid for a second term.
A Monday hearing on a petition challenge was continued for a week so the Glendale Heights Municipal Officers Electoral Board could get a report from the DuPage County clerk about the validity of some contested signatures on Khokhar’s nominating petition.
The same is true for a challenge to the petition of Ed Pope, who is also running for village president.
Ed Pope
The hearings for Khokhar and Pope started on Dec. 11. Trustees Chester Pojack and Mary Schroeder, plus Village Clerk Marie Schmidt, are on the electoral board for the mayoral cases.
Resident Matthew Corbin objected to the paperwork filed by Pope and Khokhar.
Corbin contends that village presidential candidates need a minimum of 102 valid signatures to appear on the ballot.
Khokhar submitted sheets with 187 signatures.
Mike Ontiveroz, James Sullivan, Trustee Mike Light and Rebecca Giannelli are the other candidates running for village president.
Corbin alleges Khokhar’s sheets show a pattern of fraud, including Khokhar saying he circulated all 24 of the sheets when at least one was circulated by another person, according to Corbin’s objection.
Corbin contends that some signatures are from people not registered to vote at the addresses listed, and others are from non-residents.
In addition, Corbin claims there are duplicate signatures and that some of the signatures were done by people other than the voter, including their relatives. At least one signature was a forgery, according to Corbin.
He also contends Khokhar violated several other requirements about circulating petitions.
Corbin wants 23 of the petition sheets thrown out.
For Pope, Corbin alleges at least 34 of the 121 signatures collected are invalid for various reasons, including duplication and not being registered at the address given. Corbin objected to the signatures of two people because they first signed the petition of another village president candidate.
Repeat of 2021?
Illinois high court removes Glendale Heights president from April 6 ballot
In 2021, Corbin objected to the petitions of Khokhar, Pope and then-Village President Linda Jackson when they ran for the village president seat. In those cases, the electoral board ruled to keep Khokhar and Pope on the ballot. Corbin then asked DuPage County judges to remove them.
One judge ruled that Jackson and Pope could stay on the ballot. Corbin appealed that decision, and the Illinois Supreme Court removed both from the ballot just a few days before the election.
A different DuPage judge ruled that Khokhar should be removed. Khokhar appealed that decision, and Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court judges put him back on the ballot.