A Vacancy, Candidates and the April 2015 Election

With the resignation of Gretchen Fritz to assume her seat on Will County Board, the Plainfield Public Library District Board of Trustees has been operating with a vacancy since late last year. The timing of the vacancy would allow for the seated board of Trustees to appoint someone to that position only until the next regular election. Because the filing period for candidates for the April 2015 election to the Library Board was December 15 through 22, the Board of Trustees decided not to pursue appointing someone to the vacancy for only a few months. Instead, they waited to find out who would file their paperwork to run for the two-year unexpired term. Their patience was rewarded when only a single candidate filed for the two-year unexpired term. That candidate, Jason M. Puetz, has already begun attending Library Board meetings. It is anticipated that he will be appointed to the vacancy in either January or February.

Also, three seats for four-year terms will appear on the April 2015 ballot, according to the regular election cycle for the Library Board. Three candidates filed to run for these three seats: Crystal Andel, Carl Gilmore and Sharon Kinley. All three candidates filed at 9:00am on December 15, 2014, the first day of filing. A simultaneous filing lottery was conducted on December 30, determining the ballot order: Kinley, Gilmore, Andel.

No objections were filed against any petitions for candidacy during the objection filing period.

The Certification of the Ballot has been submitted to the Will and Kendall County Clerks for the two elections. That concludes my duties as Local Election Official (LEO) for the April 2015 election.

Write-in candidates may file their Intent to Write-In forms at the County Clerk’s Office through February 5, 2015. But the LEO doesn’t have to do anything with those!