I told Capitol Fax readers that this would happen last week.

Gay marriage opponents have hit a hurdle in their efforts to get a measure on the November ballot because they don’t appear to have enough valid signatures, a state Board of Elections spokesman said Monday.

A check of 64,000 signatures — a sample of the more 330,000-plus submitted — did not find enough registered voters to put a measure on the ballot that would ask voters if the state should amend its constitution to ban same-sex marriage, said elections board spokesman Dan White.

The requirement is that 95 percent of signatures be valid and they had 91 percent, White said.

Still, the measure can make it to the ballot because supporters can appeal the findings of the board’s review, which they plan to do, said Peter LaBarbera, executive director of a conservative group pushing to get the gay marriage advisory referendum on the Illinois ballot.

UPDATE: Cal has more at Illinoize.

UNRELATED UPDATE: I’ve changed the Congressional news feed (scroll way down, on right) by deleting Denny Hastert, Barack Obama and Dick Durbin. The previous feed was pulling up way too many national stories. It’s a lot more localized now. I’ve also added both candidates in the state’s only open seat race, Peter Roskam and Tammy Duckworth.