The future of three controversial referendums submitted for the ballot in the March Cook County primary election is now in the hands of three Cook County officials.
Chicago Ald. Joseph Moore (49th) filed formal objections today to keep three measures introduced by Berwyn resident Richard Benedict Mayers, an alleged member of the white supremacist World Church of the Creator, off of the ballot.
Mayers’ proposed measures seek constitutional amendments that would ban interracial marriage, prohibit the abortion of “healthy white babies,” and send black prisoners “back to Western Africa.”
“These proposals are a serious affront, not only to the American ideas of interracial understanding and cooperation, but to the fabric of society,” Moore said during a news conference after filing his objections. “They should be soundly criticized by every fair-minded man and woman in Cook County no matter what their race or ethnicity.”
In a phone interview with WGN-Ch.9 Mayers said: “This is an attempt to deny people their god given right to vote. A great majority of the people in Cook County want this on the ballot.”
Moore, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Cook County Circuit Court clerk, claims that none of Mayers’ referendum applications had more than 12 signatures, falling far short of the required number needed to place a proposal on the ballot — 10 percent of registered voters in the county.
A hearing is scheduled for next week in front of the Cook County Officers Electoral Board, according to the Cook County clerk’s office. The board includes Cook County State’s Atty. Richard Devine, Cook County Clerk David Orr and Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Aurelia Pucinski.
Had someone not filed objections, Moore said it is quite possible the proposals would have appeared on the ballot because Illinois law is unclear as to whether election board officials can remove them if proper procedure is not followed.
“I am confident the election authorities and the courts — if it goes up that high — will determine that Mr. Mayers did not meet the requirements,” Moore said in a telephone interview after the news conference.
Moore also said he heard from Rep. William Lipinski’s (D-Ill.) office today that Mayers intends to run against Lipinksi for U.S. Congress.
According to Berwyn police, Mayers was cited for violating a local littering ordinance this summer after he threw flyers and pamphlets from the World Church on people’s property. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 13. The offense is punishable by a fine of up to $750, police said.
