Voters Unknowingly Sign Affidavits To Remove A 13th Ward Candidate
CHICAGO (CBS) -- More on the election hijinks in the 13th Ward aldermanic race.
There are accusations that thousands of voters unwittingly signed false affidavits to kick a candidate off the ballot who is challenging the Madigan machine. Some voters said they were misled to do just that.
It's standard operating procedure to pass petitions to get a candidate on the ballot. However it's highly unusual to petition to get a candidate removed. That's what Mike Madigan's organization is doing in the 13th Ward.
But apparently they led hundreds of voters to file false statements to do it. When asked if they're upset about it, one person said yes.
"I am. I am because I was deceived. This is not what I was signing," said one Southwest Side voter, who didn't want her face shown on TV.
She is one of almost 2,800 voters who signed petitions to kick 13th Ward aldermanic candidate David Krupa off the ballot, and she said she was misled into doing so.
"I'm gonna think twice about voting for Madigan in the office now, because this is not right," she said.
Krupa is challenging 13th Ward alderman Marty Quinn. It's Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan's ward, and Quinn is his alderman. But Madigan's operatives presented almost a thousand more signatures from people revoking their backing for Krupa than had signed to support Krupa in the first place.
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"If you didn't sign my petition, why would you go out of the way to sign something that revokes your signature?" Krupa said.
CBS 2 filed a Freedom of Information Act request for all 2,800 revocation affidavits, and then went door-to-door in the 13th Ward, looking for voters who'd signed them.
Voters like 83-year-old Beverly Zumerling. When asked if she had signed a petition to support David Krupa...
"Probably not. I don't think I did," Zumering said. But her revocation document said she did just that.
Just like the one signed by Brian Palmsone. Asked if he thought David Krupa should be kicked off the ballot, Palmsone said no, even though he signed a petition doing just that.
"Well, I suppose I made a mistake in signing it then," Palmsone said.
Many voters said they were falsely told the revocation petitions aimed at Krupa were simply signature verifications. A hearing on this is scheduled for Saturday at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.