2 Signature Margin May Keep State Sen. Ira Silverstein On Ballot

CHICAGO — A Chicago Board of Elections official determined a veteran North Side state senator accused of sexual harassment by a victim's rights advocate last year should remain on the ballot. Sen. Ira Silverstein had just two signatures more than the 1,000 required, according to a recommendation from Hearing Officer Maurice Sone, WMAQ-TV reported.

Last week, a special legislative inspector general report was released publicly, clearing him of criminal sexual harassment but finding the 8th District senator behaved "in a manner unbecoming of a legislator in violation of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act."

Silverstein has ignored calls for his resignation in the wake of the accusations. He faces four Democratic primary challenges for his state senate seat, Caroline McAteer-Fournier, Zehra Quadri, Ram Villivalam and David Zulkey.

Silverstein, the former chair of the Democrats' caucus, has represented the 8th District on Chicago's North Side, which includes parts of Skokie, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles and Glenview since 1999.

Party leaders normally don't have a problem getting enough registered voters to sign their election paperwork.

"For someone who is a ward committeeman not to be able to get this number of signatures that even bring him into this type of challenge is very unusual," Election expert Michael Dorf told WMAQ-TV.

One of the lawyers trying to get Silverstein tossed off the ballot promised to continue the challenge.

"There are insufficient signatures, which we proved," election attorney Burt Odelson told the NBC affiliate. "The board or the court will rule him off the ballot. (It's) almost unbelievable an incumbent senator didn't have enough signatures."

The board will consider the hearing officers recommendation at a meeting of the Chicago Electoral Board Tuesday.

» Read more from WMAQ-TV

FEB. 1 UPDATE: At a meeting of Chicago Board of Election Commissioners Tuesday, three of Silverstein's signatures were rejected, leaving him one short, the Chicago Tribune reported. The hearing officer must now write a new report explaining his reasoning behind decisions on a dozen of the signatures in question. There is no due date for the report, but the Tribune reported the board is "eager to resolve the issue" and the hearing officer may change his mind about some of he signatures.