Republicans and Greens Request Ballot Lottery in Urbana City Election.

Republican and Green candidates in the Urbana City election have asked the city clerk to hold a ballot lottery to determine the order in which candidates are listed --- even though the ballots have already been printed.

Those ballots list the Democratic candidates first. But the Republican and Green candidates say that without a lottery to determine the order, state law is being broken.

Republican mayoral candidate Rex Bradfield says he plans to take the matter to court if Urbana officials don't agree to hold a ballot lottery in a timely fashion. "They're running around like cockroaches when you turn the lights on", says Bradfield, referring to Urbana city officials. "The should just say, 'well, hell, let's try the lottery, maybe we'll get lucky'."

A letter signed by Bradfield and the other candidates was delivered Monday to Urbana City Clerk Phyllis Clark. It argues that putting Democrats at the top of the Urbana ballot without a lottery unfairly places other candidates at a potential disadvantage.

Besides Bradfield, the letter is signed by Green Party mayoral candidate Durl Kruse, and Green Party city council candidates Gary Storm and Mark Mallon. Republican Heather Stevenson, who's running for a second term on the Urbana City Council did not sign the letter.

City Clerk Phyllis Clark says she's checking with Urbana City Attorney Ron O'Neal before making a decision on the matter. If a ballot lottery led to printing new ballots in Urbana, the cost would run in the thousands of dollars.