Illinois Presidential Ballot Signatures Face Objection

update: 3rd Congressional District candidate Richard B. Mayers, widely considered to be a "faux" green by the party, is responsible for the objections. Dan White, executive director of the state election board, said he was unsure how long it would take to decide the merits of Mayers’ objections.

“Some can be disposed of quickly while others could take weeks,” White said, according to the site Pantagraph.com.


original article posted on November 11, 2007

After a very successful and hard-fought petition drive, the Illinois Green Party's Presidential Candidates for the Primary have all received an objection to their petitions. At least they are in good company, however, since the Democratic candidates who filed in that state are also facing objections.

Illinois Greens, Socialist Equality Party and other third parties have had their petitions challenged by Republicans and Democrats in the past, wasting party resources and manpower for the smaller parties. So, while we could imagine that the Democrats might have done it again to the Greens (or perhaps specifically to Ralph Nader who is suing the DNC on ballot access issues dating back to 2004) - who's doing it to the Democrats?

In 2006, Democrats challenged the Green Party's petitions. Christina Tobin, founder of Illinois Free and Equal who had worked as a ballot access coordinator for the Illinois Libertarian party in 1998 and 2000, and Ralph Nader in the Green Party for Illinois' presidential ballot access in 2004, claimed both Democrat and Republican state officials urged state officials to undermine these campaigns and keep them off the ballot. Despite claimed proof of these allegations, enormous legal fees prevented Tobin from pursuing the cases further.

"I really have seen first and foremost the similarities between this two-party bullying," said Tobin. "There is really no difference when it comes to what these two parties will do in order to get [independent candidates] off the ballot and deprive the voters of more choices and the real issues they want to hear.

A representative for each of the candidates who wishes to remain on the ballot must present themselves to the State Election Board this coming Monday, November 19, 2007 at the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph Ste: 9-040, Chicago, Illinois at 10:30AM.

Republicans do not hit their petition deadline until December 4. It will be interesting to see if their petitions also face objection.

references:
Illinois State Election Board Candidate List
Challenging Illinois Ballot Access Laws
Illinois Democrats prepare challenge against petitions to place SEP candidate on ballot
Nader Case Against Democratic National Committee Chair is Assigned to an Experienced Federal Judge
Ralph Nader Sues Democratic Party