Steve Funk

The County Clerk’s office has now posted the suburban Cook County write in vote totals from the November 2 General Election.

[ view results (pdf) ]

Despite the considerable obstacles facing write-in candidates and the inconsistencies and misinformation surrounding the write-in process reported at the polls, I received the 2nd highest write-in vote total in suburban Cook County.

A sincere thank you to all voters who declared independence by writing in Steve Funk for State Representative!

Dear Friends of Funk,

Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout this campaign. It is truly appreciated and inspiring to me.

Since write in votes are counted manually, it may be up to two weeks before I have any results to share with you. Even then, a truly accurate count may not be possible due to ignorance at the polling places surrounding write-in voting procedures that many of us experienced on Election Day (not to mention the lack of concern and understanding I encountered when reporting these incidents to the Cook County Clerk’s office.)

Democratic Party nominee Robyn Gabel received about 25,000 votes as the only candidate on the ballot, so the end result is unlikely to change after write-in vote results are certified. She has declared victory and will continue to serve as 18th District State Representative. I wish Representative Gabel the best as she will be facing numerous and daunting challenges in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, we can also declare victory as we reflect upon this campaign. Thousands of voters in our district are now better informed about the restrictive ballot access obstacles that independent and alternative party candidates face in Illinois and the abuse of the petition challenge process to stifle dissent and remove opposition from the ballot.

Your support enabled me to complete the daunting petition drive, do battle with Madigan’s attorney during the petition challenge, and promote my grassroots write in campaign with Internet ads, direct mail, and flyer distribution. As a result, we enjoyed substantial and repeated press coverage from the Evanston Review, Evanston Roundtable, TribLocal, Daily Northwestern, and Evanston Now. The local Leagues of Women Voters even made the unprecedented decision to invite me to a candidate forum with Ms. Gabel, allowing constructive debate on the issues in spite of my “write-in” status.

Ultimately, there were many lessons learned, but most important, we confirmed that voters in our district are eager for independent representation and new ideas. It is only a matter of time before this translates into electoral success.

Thank you again for your support and keep fighting the good fight.

Sincerely,
Steve Funk

Steve Funk has filed the required paperwork to be an eligible write-in candidate for 18th District State Representative. Your write-in vote for Steve Funk WILL BE COUNTED!

Additional information from the Cook County Clerk website…

The Clerk’s office will provide a list of eligible write-in candidates to each precinct on Election Day. This list enables election judges to determine which write-in candidates are running in their precinct. Only votes for eligible write-in candidates are counted.

Voters can vote for a write-in candidate on a paper ballot or a touch screen.

Casting a vote for a write-in candidate
On a paper ballot:
- Write the name of the write-in candidate on the line provided in a particular race.
- Mark the corresponding arrow [ IMPORTANT! ]

On a touch screen:
- Press the “write-in” box at the bottom of the list of candidates. A keyboard will appear.
- Type a name using the letters on the keyboard and space key to separate the first and last name.
- When finished, press “OK.”

Validity of write-in votes
Complete accuracy of a write-in candidate’s name is not necessary as long as the election judges can determine a voter’s intent to select a specific write-in candidate. There should be some relationship between the appearance or sound of the name written or printed on the ballot and that of the write-in candidate’s actual name.

If there is a dispute, a majority of the election judges must agree as to the intent of the voter. If a majority agreement among the election judges cannot be reached, the write-in vote will not be counted.

• Early voting is open until October 28, 2010. [ more info ]
• Election Day is November 2, 2010. Polls are open from 6:00am until 7:00pm. [ find your polling place ]

Think outside the ballot!

Michael Volpe and I engage in a wide-ranging discussion on Chicago Clout…

You can now view the LWV 18th District candidate forum with Steve Funk and Robyn Gabel on blip.tv…

The video will also be broadcast on Evanston Community Access cable channel 6 and via streaming live video online on the following dates and times:

Saturday, October 23 – 9:00pm
Sunday, October 24 – 7:30pm
Saturday, October 30 – 9:00pm
Sunday, October 31 – 7:30pm

THINK OUTSIDE THE BALLOT…

1.  Verify your voter registration information here.    

• Still need to register to vote or update your name and/or address?  Go here.  
• Last day of “grace period registration” is October 26, 2010..

2.  Join our mailing list and donate!

3.  Spread the word! 

• Print, copy, and distribute signs and flyers [ small ] [ large ] throughout the 18th District [ map ]
• Write letters to the editor of the Evanston Review and Evanston Roundtable.
• Post comments on Evanston Now.
• Become a facebook fan and invite your friends

4.  Write in Steve Funk for State Representative! 

• Early voting is from October 12 – 28, 2010 [ more info ]   
• Election Day is November 2, 2010

Tax Accountability, the political action arm of National Taxpayers United of Illinois, has endorsed Steve Funk for 18th District State Representative in the November 2, 2010 general election.

Steve Funk has signed the Illinois Taxpayer Protection Pledge to oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes.

Steve Funk’s responses to Tax Accountability’s Illinois Candidate Questionnaire can be viewed here and the full text of their endorsement is here.

Steve Funk, resident of Evanston, has announced his candidacy for State Representative of the Illinois 18th District!

- Steve Funk is NOT a politician
- Steve Funk is a fellow concerned citizen and taxpayer
- Steve Funk is your INDEPENDENT choice for State Representative

CONTACT US to volunteer and get involved!