Academic

Court keeps homeless man off the ballot

Daniel Fore, a homeless man, speaks at a news conference after a Cook County judge ruled that he could not run for a suburban village board seat because he doesn't have an address. His attorney, Joseph Jacobi, watches.

A homeless man's name cannot appear on the April 7 ballot for a Chicago suburb because he did not list a home address on his nominating papers, a court has ruled.

Attorneys for Daniel Fore said they will appeal the decision. According to the judge and attorneys on both sides, the decision marked the first time in the United States that a court ruled on a homeless person's residency and eligibility to run for office.

State election laws require a candidate to put "the street and number thereof, if any" on his or her statement of candidacy. Fore's attorneys maintain that "if any" gives someone without an address -- such as a homeless person -- the ability to seek office without having a permanent abode.

The judge disagreed, saying "if any" more likely refers to the rural route address system for people who live far from metropolitan areas where a street address and number are commonplace

Read the Chicago Tribune report here. And see previous posts here and here.

Full post as published by the 13th juror on March 11, 2009 (boomark / email).