Illinois Election Officials Vote On 2 Ballot Items
From the Associated Press
A measure calling for lawmaker term limits is all but ready for the November ballot, elections officials decided Tuesday as they also reluctantly agreed to give backers of an initiative changing how Illinois draws political boundaries more time to validate signatures.
Both could appear on one of Illinois' heftiest ballots in state history with up to seven possible initiatives before voters — four constitutional amendments and three poll-style questions — along with one of the most competitive governor's races nationwide. However, the fate of the map and term limits measures face other hurdles, with a lawsuit expected to unfold this week and allegations that the process has been laden with politics.
The Illinois State Board of Elections ruled that the "Committee for Legislative Reform and Term Limits," led by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, had enough valid signatures based off a sample size, though there's still time to file objections. The board was less certain about efforts by the "Yes for Independent Maps" group, saying the signature gathering was "a mess" and didn't meet deadlines.
"They didn't start soon enough. When they did get started, they didn't really work hard enough," board chairman Jesse Smart, who voted in favor of allowing more time, told reporters. "Yet they keep running back here wanting more days, more time, more time. We've been very fair with them, but they've not portrayed we've been fair to them."
The map group's members have said the process smells of politics in a Democratic-leaning state where some top members of the party oppose the plans to impose two terms on legislators and shift the mapmaking process from lawmakers to an independent commission. Board members dismissed those allegations.
The claim didn't crop up during the meeting, which bordered on rowdy at times with intense questioning from the board and cheers from roughly 100 supporters watching. An attorney for the map group said the citizen-driven effort was new to the rules and election officials rushed the process and didn't communicate clearly.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Associated Press
A measure calling for lawmaker term limits is all but ready for the November ballot, elections officials decided Tuesday as they also reluctantly agreed to give backers of an initiative changing how Illinois draws political boundaries more time to validate signatures.
Both could appear on one of Illinois' heftiest ballots in state history with up to seven possible initiatives before voters — four constitutional amendments and three poll-style questions — along with one of the most competitive governor's races nationwide. However, the fate of the map and term limits measures face other hurdles, with a lawsuit expected to unfold this week and allegations that the process has been laden with politics.
The Illinois State Board of Elections ruled that the "Committee for Legislative Reform and Term Limits," led by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, had enough valid signatures based off a sample size, though there's still time to file objections. The board was less certain about efforts by the "Yes for Independent Maps" group, saying the signature gathering was "a mess" and didn't meet deadlines.
"They didn't start soon enough. When they did get started, they didn't really work hard enough," board chairman Jesse Smart, who voted in favor of allowing more time, told reporters. "Yet they keep running back here wanting more days, more time, more time. We've been very fair with them, but they've not portrayed we've been fair to them."
The map group's members have said the process smells of politics in a Democratic-leaning state where some top members of the party oppose the plans to impose two terms on legislators and shift the mapmaking process from lawmakers to an independent commission. Board members dismissed those allegations.
The claim didn't crop up during the meeting, which bordered on rowdy at times with intense questioning from the board and cheers from roughly 100 supporters watching. An attorney for the map group said the citizen-driven effort was new to the rules and election officials rushed the process and didn't communicate clearly.
Read more in our daily News Update...