The deadline for filing challenges to petitions of candidates has closed in Chicago. Chicago will be electing three citywide offices, and 50 alderman seats, in its February 2011 election. The Board must hold hearings on 368 separate challenges to various petitions and statements of candidacy. See this list. Thanks to Phil Huckelberry for the link.
Most states do not use the challenge system. In most states, employees of the elections office (either state or local) determine if petitions are valid. Illinois, by contrast, assumes all petitions are valid, but anyone is free to challenge the validity of a petition, and then the Board of Elections must hold an adversarial hearing, which is time-consuming both for employees of the Board of Elections, and for representatives of the candidates.
So what century will the IL regime take control —
basic check of appearance of each petition page and random checks of individual signatures, etc. ???
How did STONE AGE stuff develop in some States and not others — since 4 July 1776 ???
How soon before E-signatures for petitions — with 100 percent security ??? — a current technology for business contracts, etc.