What I’ve Seen in Illinois
I’ve spent the last month in my home state of Illinois, fighting for 15 candidates from all ballot-qualified parties who have been caught up in the insane and anti-democratic petition objection process.
Illinois is one of three states that allow any voter to object to the signatures submitted by candidates to gain a spot on the ballot. We told you about this insane process in New York in this year’s local elections. As bad as New York can be, it is much worse in Illinois.
By design, the objection process only preserves power for the political class by eliminating voter choice. The result, quite often, is that only one government approved candidate can appear on the ballot.
Even when a candidate can succeed within the insane rules of Illinois’ petitioning system, those in power can simply change the rules on a whim. The attorney working for Free and Equal, Inc., calls the process “Kafkaesque.” That only begins to describe it.
Democratic candidate for Governor William “Dock” Walls, III, said the State Board of Elections had to be “either incompetent or corrupt” after his experience before it. I’d agree with Walls except for one thing – it’s both. This can also be said for the Boards of Elections in Cook County and the city of Chicago.
I’ve seen the sitting Governor Pat Quinn, who loves to be called “The Reformer,” use the objection process to knock Walls, the only African-American running for Governor, off the ballot just so he wouldn’t have to worry about losing African-American votes – just a couple years after Quinn denounced the objection process himself when it was applied to one of his allies.
I’ve seen Boards simply make up numbers and new procedures whenever it suits them, such as in the case of Walls.
I’ve seen a number of state employees working overtime hours to check signatures for ones their boss could challenge.
I’ve seen plenty of “shotgun objections,” where challengers insincerely claim all signatures are invalid without any proof, hoping the Board members will listen to the hand that that feeds them and agree.
I’ve seen quite a number of straight party line votes which never even considered the facts of any case before them.
I’ve seen one candidate, Deb Leticia Gordils, knocked off the ballot after a hearing to which neither side’s lawyers were notified, and for which exist no official record or minutes, even though her opponent listed his own name in place of hers on his objection forms.
I’ve seen one candidate, Anita Forte-Scott, face a campaign of slander by fronts for the power elite, only because she used an outdated form provided to her by the Board of Elections to collect a few of her signatures.
I’ve even seen the son and mother of one candidate, Dan Kairis, accused of providing fraudulent signatures.
However, while fighting in the trenches I’ve also seen a number of hopeful signs.
I’ve seen candidates decide to take the high road and drop objections to each others’ petitions after realizing they didn’t want any part of this corrupt process. When David Ratowitz did this in his race for U.S. House in the 5th District, eventually his example compelled his opponent to do the same.
I’ve seen candidates cross party lines to support each other just because it was the right thing to do.
And perhaps the most heartening part, I’ve finally seen people in the media begin to openly question the value of the petition objection process.
Just as in New York, Free and Equal plans to use this experience and growing awareness to build coalitions working to eliminate these laws which rob voters of their choices.
In January, we’ll be publishing our Ballot Access guides. One will help candidates and parties navigate the process in their home state and get on the ballot. The other will be a blueprint for reform in every state. You bet the petition objection process will be one of our top targets for reform in the states where it is used.
Please help Free and Equal with a donation today. Your donation will allow us to publish these Ballot Access guides and get them into the hands of the people who will run for office and change these onerous laws. It will also help us spread the message of electoral reform far and wide, educating the voters, the media and elected officials about the necessity of elections that are truly Free and Equal.
Thank You,
Christina Tobin
Founder, CEO
Free & Equal
www.freeandequal.org
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