On September 3, the 7th circuit expedited the ballot access case Stevo v Keith, 08-3218. The plaintiffs’ brief is due September 5; the state’s brief is due September 12; the rebuttal brief is due September 15. The case challenges the number of signatures needed for an independent or unqualified party candidate for U.S. House. The U.S. District Court had upheld the law on August 27.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
How many signatures, and what is their basis for proof,do they claim are required? Tennessee requires only 25 , or is it 175, and that is more than enough, or is it too many? All of these illegal ludicrous arguments for thousands of signatures are just bureaucratic ways of keeping people from running!
5% of the vote in last election. If 200,000 people voted, the requirement is 10,000.
For CD’s in Chicago it is around 8,000 (except for CD 4, the earmuff district, which is 4,293). For suburbs and downstate it is closer to 10,000 with a high of 12,205.
Since voting in presidential election years is higher, the petition requirement for 2010 could be over 15,000 in some CDs. Given than Obama is from Illinois, it could push some CDs up to 17- or 18,000.