Page Disclaimer: Despite this page's draft status, subsequent appearance and short-term impulse, it is based on facts intended to supplement real life, in person conversations on July 17, 2025 and is driven by the spirit of offering up an example of a Good Trouble Living Onward and Upward. Numerious phone calls and in person conversations have already been held as it relates to calling for new legislation to be adopted by all states for quite a few months, so spilling out this draft was a challenge only in the desire of keeping the content as short and to-the-point as possible clashing with the desire to further explain not just the circumstances, but the damages that occur when election hinkey-dinks are allowed to go unchecked.
Therefore, while it is possible this page will be improved upon in the future, it is equally possible this page will remain exactly as it is to act as one more snapshot of inequal access to justice as it relates to the local election process for over 70,000 municipal units across the country must conduct. Non-stop effort was put forth by numerous people to serve and protect the integrity of the election process with the Harvey Public Library District and it was not the people who failed to take action, but a system that failed the people through obstruction of access to corrective action in the immediate. There was extraordinary research put forth to discern who to report these incidents to, but even government units such as the state's Public Integrity Unit failed to even hint they had the capacity to handle just one event, let alone the series of events that corrupted and thus tainted the election of the current government officials at the Harvey Public library.
These examples are being offered up as placeholders for your own unique contemplation of what you would do if your own local park district or village hall refuses to tell you how many seats are available and the terms of the seats for the 2026-2027 election season. If any of these examples happens in your backyard, who can you call that can take immediate action? What kind of corrective action would you expect to be available?
Legislation authorizing a hotline dedicated to the issue and a government unit having full authority to investigate and demand immediate corrective action has been the most appealing solution, both from a cost perspective as well as a resource perspective with a real possibility within the first 5 years, these types of incidents can be significantly reduced, thus restoring a measure of integrity back into the election process.
The other piece of thought on this page that is in honor of the nationwide protests is the strong recommendation for all users of the Internet to begin posting a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on their websites, along with thick and thorough conversation about each and ever line of the document. While distribution of the resolution was never mandated, there is equally no expiration date installed into the document that diminishes the hope of the signatories that the words should be shared, irrelevant of national boundaries, for all of eternity.
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Help Put A STOP to
Illegal Local Election Interference TODAY!
The following examples are real life situations that transpired during the 2025 local election cycle in Illinois. A formal complaint from a voter in Harvey, Illinois was submitted to both the Illinois Board of Elections and the State's Attorney's office, pursuant to misleading instructions on the State's website. Neither had the authority to immediately shut down these circumstances, nor was there any clearly identified body of authority able to demand corrective actions when there are failures by a municipal unit while administering the election process on a local level.
Example 1: President of the Harvey Public Library District, Anthony McCaskill actively and intentionally obstructed the release of basic details of how the HPLD would conduct their part as receivers of nomination papers during the 2024 nomination process. One example is currently available online through a video of a public meeting in which questions were asked from a member of the public. President McCaskill not only proceeded to refuse to share any information, he illegally asserted that the only way to access this information was if someone hired a lawyer, thus alleging there is a mandatory pay-to-play scheme in place for all municipal units.
In addition, right after his refusal to share critical election information, he further abused his office by continuing to state for the public record a threat against all members of the public, using local news provider the Harvey World Herald, WHILE STAYING SEATED IN THE CHAIR OF THE PRESIDENT WHILE CLAIMING TO BE SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT! Not only was the threat entirely disallowed (pursuant to Robert's Rules of Order, a member of the public cannot direct their comments to anyone in the audience), but because he was the person of authority who SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN THE COMMENTS HE MADE. The fact that he read a pre-written statement shows clear intent to abuse his office, along with his obsturction to critical information.
If there had been an election hotline, this obstruction could have come to a quick end with a demand of the HPLD to publish both on their website AND at the library the specifics regarding the election of government officials for the library district.
Instead, the obstruction was allowed to continue over and over and over again.
Example 2: HPLD Library Attorney, Tom Condon of the law firm Montana & Welch, refused to answer the question "Who is the Local Election Official for the library? Is it the Secretary as prescribed by election law or someone else? after being asked repetitively during the opening hour of the library accepting nomination papers. In addition, he attempted to assert that copies of the nomination papers could only be accessed via a pre-made request form, implying FOIA laws govern the release of these papers, which is entirely false. It is a blatant obstruction to the public AND all potential candidates to exercise their right and responsibility to review the nominations papers IN PREPARATION FOR THE CHALLENGE PERIOD WHICH STARTS WHEN THE SUBMISSION WINDOW CLOSES. The form he first tried to use included a statement there would be a financial cost attached to the request, which is an illegal pay-to-play obstruction. The public does not have to pay out of pocket to access copies of nomination papers.
If there had been an election hotline, this obstruction could have come to a quick end with a demand of the HPLD to publish both on their website AND at the library the specifics regarding the parts of the election process, including but not limited to the public's right and responsibility to examine the paperwork submitted by the potential candidates, let alone the media examining them.
Example 3: Now former library co-manager, Melanie Baker refused to answer the question "Who is the Local Election Official for the library? Is it the Secretary as prescribed by election law or someone else? after being asked repetitively by multiple people throughout the entire nomination paper submission period as well as the challenges to the nomination papers period. She also was the individual who accepted the paperwork, put her signature to the paperwork and other LEO responsibilities. She also refused to acknowledge she had the authority to release copies of the nomination papers, which such requests were delayed for multiple people until the last day of the submission period.
If there had been an election hotline, this obstruction could have come to a quick end with a demand of the HPLD to publish both on their website AND at the library the list of who is up for re-election and how long the term will be for each seat at the absolute starting point of the process, that of permission for candidates to begin seeking out signatures for their petitions.
Example 4: The HPLD refused to state for the record exactly what seats on the board were available and for what term. This created the impression that there were four 6 year seats without anyone knowing which individuals were up for re-election, among other things. In fact, there were three 6 year seats and one 2 year seat. Paperwork was initially submitted by now Cook County Commissioner and wife of President Anthony McCaskill, Kisha McCaskill, but she withdrew her paperwork and the daughter of Anthony McCaskill, Amari McCaskill ran as a write-in candidate and won the two year term.
If there had been an election hotline, this obstruction could have come to a quick end with a demand of the HPLD to publish both on their website AND at the library the list of who is up for re-election and how long the term will be for each seat at the absolute starting point of the process, that of permission for candidates to begin seeking out signatures for their petitions.
In other words, there is zero public record of who the Local Election Official was for the 2025 Harvey Public Library District elections, let alone the implementation of a clearly pre-planned strategy to obstruct the nomination papers process anywhere and everywhere they could, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO HOTLINES ACROSS THE NATION TO REPORT THESE TYPES OF ILLEGAL OBSTRUCTION OF THE ELECTION PROCESS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL!
We already have public and private infrastructure in place to address issues connected to the voting part of the election process, especially at the state and federal levels.
PROOF IT CAN BE DONE WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER FOR A COMMON CAUSE!
Now is the time to DEMAND ELECTION INTEGRITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS, NOT JUST DURING VOTING SEASON!
Say YES to Election Hotlines!
WE DESERVE HOTLINES TO ADDRESS ELECTION INTERFERENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS--GETTING YOUR NAME ON THE BALLOT!
Call your State representatives today and demand:
1. Legislation mandating the publishing of election process details specific to the local municiapl unit, such as the name of the Local Election Official, contact information for the LEO, the dates, times and location to submit nomination papers, what seats are available and for what terms. In Illinois, the legislation can be parallel to the Open Meetings Act mandate for all municipal units to publish and post unobstructed meeting agendas a full 48 hours prior to a meeting.
2. Legislation clearly identifying an authoritative body that can immediately investigate a complaint and demand corrective actions if and when appropriate, such as the county Sheriff's office and/or the state police. In addition, prosecution for illegally interferring with the administering of the nomination process should be criminal, not civil.
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Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, therefore,
The General Assembly,
Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.