New bill changes Illinois election slate rules

ILLINOIS (WIFR) – Six months away from November, Illinois lawmakers change election laws that prevent candidates from being slated in.

The bill, originally presented as a child welfare bill, declares only candidates who run in the primary election can be on the general election ballot. Illinois State Board of Elections public information office Matt Dietrich says the burden will now be on each political party to make sure someone runs in each state-wide primary race.

“They would not have a chance then to slate a candidate after the primary to fill that vacancy and nomination,” Dietrich clarifies.

Tensions along party lines rose after Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law. 35th District State Senator Dave Syverson sees this bill as an abuse of power by the Democrats. He says the bill was signed at historic speed without any public input. He believes it is wrong to pass a bill that would change election laws this close to the general election.

“For the ruling party just to take choice away from the public is wrong … it shouldn’t be about Chicago style political muscle, it should be about an open process,” Syverson says.

On the other side of the argument, State Representative Dave Vella hopes the bill will return power to voters and independent candidates. He says for too long, many slated candidates ran without connecting with their constituents.

“I think I’m hoping that this will force the candidates to go out and talk to the voters,” Vella says. “And forces the candidates who don’t want to go through that process, to do it and you want that right, you want people to put the work in if they are going to represent you.”

The bill also places three advisory questions onto the November ballot for citizens to consider pertaining to the security of election workers, invitro fertilization and tax increases on incomes of more than $1,000,000. For certain offices, including state constitutional officers and judges, it pushes back the filing period by four weeks.

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