Although the Libertarian Party’s three statewide candidates are safely on the Illinois ballot this year, the only Libertarian who petitioned for U.S. House was removed from the ballot on August 26. He is Joseph Schreiner, running in the 16th district in north central Illinois. As a result, there is only one candidate on the ballot, incumbent Republican Adam Kinzinger.
Schreiner submitted a very small number of signatures, so the recent decision in David Gill’s case is of no help to him. But Schreiner would have remained on the ballot, except that two individuals named Chris Brown and Barry Welbers challenged his petition.
This is amazing. It’s an absolute betrayal of democracy for the only opposition to an incumbent for a race that effects the nationwide level is being removed simply because of a lack of signatures, which would only mean a lack of coverage of such a race.
What self-respecting democracy has only one candidate on the ballot in ANY race?
“Very small number?” Out of curiosity, how many signatures did he submit, and what was the requirement?
The requirement was 10,860 valid signatures. I don’t know how many signatures were submitted. I will try to contact Joseph Schreiner and ask him.
Schriner has run as a write-in candidate for president in every election year since 2000.
Also, the state of Illinois officially removed Constitution Party candidates Darrell Castle and Chad Koppie (U.S. Senate) earlier today. Koppie will continue his campaign as a write-in.
Schreiner submitted 1 signature. It is not a ‘travesty to democracy’ that he was removed from the ballot since he made little attenpt to compky witb the law.
“little attempt to comply with the law.”
That’s what happens at 5:03 am when you comment before coffee.
Around 40-50 percent of all gerrymander districts (totally rigged packed and cracked) in the USA do NOT have a D or a R in general elections.
More so in the southern States.
I.E. total waste of time and effort to go against an incumbent rigged to have 60 or more percent of the votes.
ALL regimes in the U.S.A. are de facto rigged gerrymander regimes.
One result — the SCOTUS robot party HACKS making nonstop legislative opinions on all sorts of controversial stuff.
—
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
The state justifies this unreasonably high signature requirement by citing a compelling interest in avoiding ballot clutter and voter confusion. Seems to me that argument is particularly invalid when there’s only one other candidate on the ballot.
About a year ago, I emailed about 10 Illinois state legislators, and I said, “If a party has fewer members, why don’t they file fewer signatures?” None of them responded.
Rep. Kinzinger is too liberal. I hope a conservative will run against him, as a write-in candidate.