* Nothing is official yet, but a hearing officer ruled in favor of the Libertarian Party’s petitions this week, and there’s a full State Board of Elections meeting Friday to make it official…
The Libertarian candidates appear likely to prevail in their case. On Aug. 15, a hearing officer ruled the Libertarian candidates had enough signatures to be on the ballot. In the past, the elections board has generally followed the hearing officer’s decision, but it doesn’t have to. A 4-4 tie would favor the Libertarians.
* The Green Party lost its case at the hearing officer level, but the party has filed suit to get its candidates on the ballot…
On Thursday morning, Judge J. John Tharp Jr. is scheduled to rule on a motion for preliminary injunction in a ballot-access lawsuit filed by the Illinois Green Party. […]
The Green Party’s lawsuit argues Illinois has thrown up so many hurdles for non-established parties that the whole process is unconstitutional. If Tharp grants the preliminary injuction, it’s likely the Green candidates will go on the ballot because counties have to get started on the process soon to have the ballots ready for early and absentee voting. The chairman of the Illinois Constitution Party has said his party plans to join the Green lawsuit, but it has not yet done so.
The Green Party lawsuit affects only statewide candidates. The party’s candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Metropolititan Water Reclamation District already are assured of their places on the ballot.
- train111 - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 1:53 pm:
When I look at that 288 page Board of Elections Commission agenda and read through the complaints against the Libertarians, Greens, and the Constitution guys, I’m taken aback by how much time money and effort the D’s and R’s spend to keep these guys off the ballot. The affidavits from 100+ people who signed a petition circulated by 1 indivdidual stating that the picture on the petition of the circulator doesn’t match the individual–that’s some serious work finding all those people and getting them to sign legal paperwork.
If the D’s and R’s actually spent as much time and effort and used as much ingenuity and imagination fixing the state’s problems as they do kicking perspective opponents off the ballot, we’d be living in the best run state in the country.
train111
- Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 2:07 pm:
Nice work by the Dems here.
- Anon - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 2:09 pm:
Looks like Quinn catches a break here, with the party to the right of the GOP staying on the ballot while the party to the left of the Dems gets tossed. Combine that with the probably death of Rauner’s term limits referendum and it has been a good day for the Gov.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 2:11 pm:
Green Party suit looks like a Hail Mary.
Illinois’ entire election code is unconstitutional?
#MassiveFail
This is not good for Rauner, as my earlier post mentioned regarding polling.
Rauner got a cold reception from the Second Amendment folks, and he has proposed raising sales taxes by $600 million a year. A Libertarian candidate can make a lot of hay with that.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 2:47 pm:
If the LIbs get on, and the Greenies get knocked off, that a very good day for Quinn, indeed.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 3:15 pm:
Immortal words of Charlie Sheen…… Quinning!
- phocion - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 3:23 pm:
Not an up day for Rauner.
- Ahoy! - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 3:36 pm:
–The Green Party’s lawsuit argues Illinois has thrown up so many hurdles for non-established parties that the whole process is unconstitutional.–
Outside of everything, I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. I am in utter disbelief that our court system continues to allow a whole different standard for independent candidates and new and different parties outside of the R’s & D’s. That we allow this is unfathomable to me and entirely undemocratic.
- titan - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 4:29 pm:
Ahoy! @ 3:36 pm
The difference between Established Party candidates and New Party or Independents is that Established Party candidates have to run - and win - in the primary before running in the general election. They get a lower signature requirement to get to the primary.
New Party and Independent candidates go directly to the general election (and there is no limit on the number of them). The lack of having to run and win in the primary is offset by the higher signature requirement.
- Downstate Libertarian - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 6:17 pm:
@Titan - Not going through a primary is no treat. I think that almost any Libertarian would rather go through a primary against other Libertarian candidates than to jump through the higher signature requirement. The lone benefit of not having the primary is the fact of not costing the taxpayers money (something that the Dems and GOP have no problem doing).
With the late date of petition turn-in, challenges, challenges to the challenges, and final hearings, the Libertarian candidates have little time to even get the word out, which further protects two-party system.
@Wordslinger - actually, recent examination of LP voting trends show that they draw almost equally from Dems and GOP. In fact, in the 2013 VA Gubernatorial election, Robert Sarvis (the LP candidate) drew more from the McAuliffe (D) than Cuccinelli (R).
@Anon - The LP is definitely not the right of GOP. Actually, an examination of the issues places the LP more in-between. It is that mid-ground that has led to pulling from discontented voters from the Dems and the GOP.
- A Libertarian - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 6:24 pm:
If the Democrats and Republicans were as organized and cooperative within their party as Libertarians are, they would not need a primary election at taxpayer expense. Libertarians on the ballot cost the taxpayers nothing. The only cost to taxpayers is what the Republicans and Democrats do to try to keep 3rd parties off the ballot and that also costs taxpayer money. I would say that the enemy of the people is the Democrats and Republicans, not Libertarians.
- Befuddled - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 7:21 pm:
This is not good for Rauner. Right wingers who think he’s really a Democrat will have an alternative now.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 7:35 pm:
–If the Democrats and Republicans were as organized and cooperative within their party as Libertarians are, they would not need a primary election at taxpayer expense.–
What, does the Central Committee pick the candidates. Such camaraderie, lol.
Enemy of the people is a stretch, don’t you think, comrade?
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 9:42 pm:
are the Greens entitled to seek injunctive relief without having first taken their appeal to the SC?
- Odysseus - Wednesday, Aug 20, 14 @ 10:27 pm:
–The Green Party’s lawsuit argues Illinois has thrown up so many hurdles for non-established parties that the whole process is unconstitutional.–
The Green Party is correct. Illinois election law is bizarre, and both could and should be far more inclusive.
- Downstate Libertarian - Thursday, Aug 21, 14 @ 6:25 am:
@Wordslinger - Candidates are selected at the party’s state convention. The whole process is fair and open in nature.