Peoria County Election Commission / YouTube
Originally published on December 11, 2020 8:39 pm
Peoria voters likely will have the opportunity to write in a candidate when voting in February’s mayoral primary but not just any name they choose.
“People think they can write in whoever they want. They can, but the votes will only be counted for people who are certified write-ins,” said Tom Bride, executive director of the Peoria County Election Commission (PCEC). “So once you file a declaration of write-in, then you re a certified write-in of votes cast for you will actually count.”
Chuck Brown plans to register a write-in campaign after his name was removed from the ballot when the PCEC board upheld a challenge to his nominating petition. Bride said a check of records dating back to 2005 showed no registered write-in mayoral candidates.
PEORIA The field of candidates for the city s next mayor has narrowed to five as the Peoria County Board of Elections voted to remove two candidates from February s ballot for failure to collect enough signatures.
Pastor Chuck Brown and Couri Thomas were both stricken from the primary ballot. Neither man had enough signatures of registered Peoria voters who lived at the addresses listed in their petition.
Both men, however, appeared to take the decisions in stride and to continue their quest to lead the city. Brown said he would try to conduct a write-in campaign and expected to be mayor in April. Only one area candidate in the last several decades Aaron Schock running for a Peoria Public Schools board seat has succeeded as a write-in against those with their names on the ballot.