* Following a federal court order, the Illinois State Board of Elections has pushed back the filing deadlines for congressional candidates. From a press release…
Today the State Board if Elections is announcing that pursuant to the attached Order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in the matter of Committee for a Fair and Balanced Map, et al. v. Illinois State Board of Elections, et al., No. 11-c-5065, the filing deadlines related to the office of the United States House of Representatives have been modified as follows:
• Friday, December 23, 2011, 8:00 a.m.: First day to file for candidates seeking the office of Representative in the U.S. Congress
• Tuesday, December 27, 2011, 5:00 p.m.: Last day to file for candidates seeking the office of Representative in the U.S. Congress
• Wednesday, January 4, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: Last day for filing objections to the nominating petitions of candidates who have filed for the office of Representative in the U.S. Congress.
The court order is here. From the order…
If the Court has not ruled on Plaintiffs’ Motion for a Permanent Injunction (Dkt. 104) and the boundary descriptions for congressional districts are still in dispute by December 21, 2011, the Court shall direct the parties to submit an agreed order regarding the schedule for acceptance of nominating petitions for office of the United States House of Representatives, or file with the Court motions setting forth their proposed schedule for the acceptance of nominating petitions for office of the United States House of Representatives and for any other relief that is necessary.
* Tribune…
A federal judge [yesterday] moved back the filing schedule for Illinois congressional candidates to late December while deliberations continue on a lawsuit challenging the state’s new U.S. House district boundaries.
The start date for filing candidate petitions was to begin next Monday. But U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow, one of three federal judges overseeing a Republican challenge to the Democratic-drawn boundaries, set Friday, Dec. 23, through Tuesday, Dec. 27, as the new filing period.
Lefkow also said that if the court hasn’t ruled on the lawsuit or if the boundaries are still in dispute by Dec. 21, it will ask lawyers for the state and the Republicans to try to reach agreement on extending the deadline further or recommend a new filing schedule.
Monday will continue to be the first day of candidate filing for contenders for the state legislature, judges and a host of county offices.
