Write-Ins Enter Race After Lemont Library Board President Objects

LEMONT, IL — Three Lemont residents hoping to run for the Lemont Library Board will now run as write-in candidates after current library board president Vytenis Kirvelaitis filed objections to all the candidates' nominations.

The three candidates, Melissa Fischer, Michael Dunkin and Renee Miller Pravdik, all received objection notices after the holidays in December and all had to attend several court hearings in Chicago to try and get their names on the ballot.

"The process so far has been eye-opening," Fischer, who was born and raised in Lemont, said. "I was excited to 'campaign' around town with a social media page, business cards, chats with neighbors — all about my love of and support for the library."

Fischer couldn't attend her final court hearing downtown Chicago because she was giving birth to her first child. Fischer only had 42 signatures because of a previous election requirement which required signatures of at least 2 percent of the votes cast at the last library board election. Fischer told Patch she met with Lemont Library Director Sandra Pointon, who told her only 35 signatures were needed.

Patch has reached out to Pointon for a comment, but has not received a response.

"This election process feels like an uphill battle, but I'm determined to try anyway," Fischer said.

Kirvelaitis' objection was sustained since 50 signatures are required for all candidates.

"Unfortunately, because the current library board president does not want the voters of Lemont to see my name or the names of other interested citizens on the ballot, the process has been a disheartening nightmare of fine print, red tape, legal documents, and phone calls and trips to the Cook County Clerk's office in downtown Chicago," Fischer said.

Kirvelaitis told Patch he filed the objections to ensure the integrity of the election process.

"I sincerely believe that compliance with the Election Code and the related rules serves as a minimum standard for those interested in public service," Kirvelaitis said. "After all, attention to details and an understanding of the law are important traits. Moreover, it is not an unreasonable burden, because all candidates must satisfy the same requirements. The fact that the three individual's petitions were deemed inadequate reinforces this conclusion."

Miller Pravdik, another Lemont native, had a similar experience as Fischer.

"I never dreamed anyone would challenge my petitions," she told Patch. "I learned a lot with my multiple trips downtown to Cook County Clerk's [Office] to try to fight for my name to be on the ballot. I ultimately lost that battle basically due to my ignorance of election law."

According to the Cook County Clerk's Office, only 47 signatures of Miller Pravdik's were found valid, so Kirvelaitis' objection was sustained.

Dunkin, who won his first appeal of Kirvelaitis' objection but lost the second, decided to run as a candidate after beloved children's librarian Mary Inman was fired by the library in August.

"My running mates and I faced more obstacles than anyone could expect from a simple local library board election," Dunkin said.

"The Cook County Election Commission threw out Kirvelaitis' first challenge to my candidacy once they realized how absurd his objections were, he accused me of forging my own brother-in-law’s signature," Dunkin told Patch. "Kirvelaitis then appealed, arguing that I shouldn’t be on the ballot because I’m running as a nonpartisan candidate."

According to the Cook County Clerk's Office, Dunkin had 50 valid signatures but that 7 signatures did not list the county of the residents who signed. Only 43 signatures were then considered valid, and the objection was sustained.

There are four open positions on the library board for the April election. According to the library website, Kirvelaitis and current trustees Catherine Sanders, Tom Culcasi and Thomas Burton Jr. are up for re-election in April and all have filed to run as candidates. Those are the only names voters will see on the ballot.

Patricia Doornbos will also run as a write-in candidate in the election.

According to the library website, Kirvelaitis has been on the board since 1999; Sanders since 2013; Culcasi since 2015; and Burton since 2013.

Write-in candidates names are not shown on the ballot. According to the Cook County Clerk's office, the complete accuracy of a write-in candidate's name is not necessary as long as the election judges can determine a voter’s intent to select a specific write-in candidate.

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