Staff Reports
In order to prevent candidates from having an undue influence on voters, the campaign restrictions in campaign free zones are quite stringent. Despite this, candidates break this legislation on a daily basis across the country in every single state. Those who break the law should be held accountable for their actions. As accusations pour in from all across the country, there have been charges made in Will County, which is a blue suburban county located in Illinois.
Tim Brophy, the county treasurer, reportedly conducted electioneering inside of the Will County Clerk's office by displaying his 6-foot banners within 20 feet of voting booths. This is according to the allegations. According to the electioneering laws of the state of Illinois, Section 10 ILCS – 5/29 specifies that campaign materials must be kept at least 100 feet away from the entrances of the polling places.
These kinds of activities have been ruled illegal in many different places in Illinois and around the United States due to the fact that they influence voters by providing a final impression of who they should vote for.
A sign has been posted near the entrance of the building to make it very apparent that electioneering is not permitted inside the facility at any time, and that all campaign items must be removed. Before entering the facility, visitors are required to remove any buttons, shirts, and any other articles of clothing that have a political connotation.
A press release from Gretchen Fritz, who is running for the office of Will County Clerk, was previously covered by the Southland Journal. In that release, Gretchen Fritz accused her opponent, Lauren Staley Ferry, of electioneering herself by posting materials with her name and face inside of an area that was designated as a "campaign free zone." On Friday, October 14, candidate for the Republican party Gretchen Fritz filed an official objection.
Fritz reported that Deputy County Clerk Charles Pelkie treated her with utter contempt and ignored her in every way. County Clerk Staley Ferry discussed the issue with Fritz, but during their conversation, Staley Ferry made it abundantly apparent that, in her opinion, she was not in violation of the regulation that prohibits electioneering in voting places.
Lauren Staley Ferry, the Will County clerk, was later found to have hidden any and all publicity promoting her name and office. According to reports, a comparable grievance has been lodged with the county clerk's office against the signs for Will County Treasurer Tim Brophy. As of 11/2/2022, the supposed campaign material belonging to him can still be seen hanging about. At this time, it is not apparent whether or not the signage has been removed.
Will County, Illinois residents who want to report an election code violation should get in touch with the Will County Clerk's office via their website (https://www.willcountyclerk.gov/) or by calling the main line (815-740-4615).
It is astonishing and concerning that politicians would try to manipulate votes through electioneering in violation of the rule prohibiting campaigning in free zone areas. This kind of electoral tampering must be reported immediately because it is intolerable and cannot be accepted. It is absolutely necessary that we keep the honesty of our elections, and the first step toward achieving this goal is to have candidates answer for their behavior. I strongly encourage anyone who sees a candidate breaking the law regarding campaign free zones to immediately report the incident. We can't allow anyone to undermine our elections by disobeying the law and working to obtain an unfair advantage; it would be irresponsible of us. We will only be successful in ensuring that our elections are free and fair if we collaborate with one another.
We asked Raj Pillai, who is running against Tim Brophy, for his opinion on the acts of his opponent, but he has not yet answered to our inquiry.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Next News Network.
