Candidates who were hoping to secure ballot access in Illinois are expressing their frustration and sense of being cheated after the state’s Democrats swiftly passed a new law that puts an end to the slating of candidates for the November election if they did not participate in the March primary. Many of these candidates are now considering the possibility of filing a lawsuit.
Governor J.B. Pritzker wasted no time in signing Senate Bill 2412 into law on Friday morning. This swift action came just days after the bill received approval from both the House and the Senate.
Illinois voters will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on three important issues through non-binding ballot referendums. These issues include In vitro fertilization, poll worker safety, and property taxes. In addition, a provision has been implemented to put an end to the practice of slating candidates for the November election by Democrats or Republicans in races where no candidates from that party ran in the primary.
During a recent interview, Governor Pritzker expressed his support for a measure aimed at increasing transparency in the candidate selection process. He emphasized the importance of avoiding backroom deals and ensuring that the decision-making power lies with the people rather than a small group of individuals. Pritzker believes that greater transparency leads to a more democratic and fair system.
Republicans have raised concerns that the rule changes in the middle of the general election could have an impact. On the other hand, Democrats have countered that since there were no official candidates yet, there would be no harm in making the changes.
The Illinois State Board of Elections informed The Center Square on Friday that they have already received some slating filings. Despite the new law, they will continue to accept these filings until the original deadline of June 3. Following that, the objection process will commence. It is also possible that there will be litigation from those who object to the law, as well as from candidates on the ballot who seek to utilize the law in order to prevent their opponents from being slated.
Juvandy Rivera had his sights set on being chosen as a Republican candidate for the 3rd House District.
“I am filled with a sense of injustice, I feel violated,” Rivera expressed to The Center Square. “I haven’t even been granted the opportunity to be on the ballot due to the actions of this government. They have stripped away my right and it is completely unethical, unprofessional, and un-American.”
Rivera, a professional who dedicates his time to working with children with special needs, admitted that the idea of running for office had never crossed his mind until primary day in March. Interestingly, there were no Republican candidates vying for the primary in his district. On the Democratic side, State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, hailing from Chicago, faced no opposition in the primary race.
Leslie Collazo, a small business owner, had her sights set on becoming the Republican candidate for the 8th House District. The idea of running for office hadn’t crossed her mind until she realized that there were no Republicans running in the primary for her district. On the other hand, State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Collazo initially expressed shock at Pritzker’s swift implementation of the recently passed measure. However, she soon realized that the Democrats’ lack of transparency was not unexpected, as they had a history of pulling the rug from under their opponents.
Collazo expressed frustration, stating, “Our work was disrupted by this bill, even though we had a few weeks left to complete it.”
The deadline for slating petitions was June 3 before Governor Pritzker signed the law on Friday.
James Kirchner, a businessman, expressed his desire to be nominated for the 13th Senate District. Interestingly, there were no Republican candidates participating in the March primary. On the other hand, State Sen. Robert Peters, representing the Democratic Party from Chicago, had an uncontested run in the Democratic primary.
Kirchner, in an interview with The Center Square, revealed that he had not given any thought to the slating process, as he had only recently become aware of it. This was a completely new concept to him.
Kirchner mentioned that he was in the midst of submitting all his signatures and paperwork on Monday, which is just under a month before the June 3 deadline, before the law underwent any modifications.
In his statement, he expressed his belief that there is a possibility for this situation to be reversed, questioned, or contested in some way.
Kirchner expressed his interest in the possibility of a lawsuit against the law.
He expressed his willingness to take any legal action necessary, stating that the situation was absurd. He found it ridiculous that they would engage in such behavior, particularly at such a late stage.
Collazo expressed her intention to join a lawsuit as well.
“If we have to fight it in that manner, we will,” she asserted. “I find this situation to be highly unjust, particularly for the community I represent, which happens to be one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the city of Chicago.”
Rivera expressed his intention to participate in a lawsuit.
“Yes, absolutely. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard and the right to run for office. It’s unfair to strip away these rights from the people just because it doesn’t align with your own interests or party agenda,” he passionately expressed.
Carl Kunz is actively campaigning to secure the nomination for the 31st House District.
“I was taken aback by the arrogance displayed in this legislation, particularly by the fact that it was backdated to the current election cycle,” he expressed to The Center Square. “I have dedicated countless hours and days to preparing for the 2024 election, rearranging my family and work priorities. Just last Wednesday, I spent 7 hours walking 6 miles, engaging with constituents and assuring them of my intent to be on the November ballot. It is truly disgraceful that the Democratic members of our General Assembly would resort to such tactics in order to cling to power. This behavior is repugnant. If there is a legal recourse available to address this violation of my constitutional rights, which allows me to be included in the current law for candidacy, I fully intend to pursue it.”
In the primary, three Democrats were competing for the seat, while no Republicans ran in March.
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections website, June 3 is the final day for established party managing committees to select a candidate to fill a vacancy in cases where no candidate was nominated during the primary. Similarly, June 10 is the deadline for filing objections to the nominating papers of all candidates who filled vacancies in such situations.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 5, 2024, as that’s when the much-anticipated general election will take place.
