On February 19, the 7th circuit heard oral argument in Stone v Board of Election Commissioners for Chicago, 13-2733. The three judges are William J. Bauer (a Ford appointee), Joel Flaum (a Reagan appointees), and David Hamilton (an Obama appointee). The issue is whether the plaintiffs may have a trial to demonstrate that the 12,500 signature requirement for candidates for citywide office in Chicago is too onerous.

The hearing can be heard using this link. It lasts almost 32 minutes. The case against the 12,500 requirement is tough to win, because in 2011, six candidates for Mayor appeared on the ballot. However, for City Treasurer, only one candidate managed to comply, leaving voters with no real choice. Also, in 2007, there was only one candidate on the ballot for City Treasurer. All Chicago city elections are non-partisan.