The Chicago Democrat Machine has exploited the legal process in order to prevent Republican opposition candidate, Dave Lenkowski, from presenting a substantive debate over the current state of Chicago's 12th District. A Chicago Board of Elections hearings officer has decided to block opposition access to the ballot for District 12's State House of Representatives seat. If it rules in favor of its own hearing officer's recommendation, The Board will, in effect, determine November 2010's mid-term elections results six months early.

Republican candidate, Dave Lenkowski, complied with Chicago's overly complex and constantly evolving election laws in an effort to gain access to the ballot. Despite his success in navigating this quagmire of administrative land mines, Lenkowski was stopped at the gates to the democratic process by petty misinterpretations of election law technicalities.

This situation presents yet another disheartening, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the corrupt underbelly of Chicago politics. Dave Lenkowski's ongoing struggle to overcome administrative obstacles to secure his place on the ballot brings to light the real goal of The Chicago Board of Elections: to provide an easy-out for incumbents who are too weak to run a fair campaign.