National Public Radio has this comprehensive story about Illinois ballot access laws for minor party and independent candidates. Thanks to many people who sent me this link.
This is one of the few stories about Illinois ballot access that explains that the problem is not only too many signatures, but the fact that Illinois lacks any procedure for a group to transform itself into a qualified party, in advance of any particular election. Illinois is one of only eleven states that lacks any such procedure. Generally Illinois reporters, when they write about ballot access, do not mention this point. The other such states are Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Also Georgia’s procedure only applies to statewide office, not district or county office.
It is possible a bill will be introduced in Indiana soon to set up a party petition procedure.
This is slightly off topic, but the Maine Greens just got another state representative.
https://mainegreens.org/news/press-releases/110-second-state-representative-enrolls-green
Prior to adoption of the Australian ballot, did states recognize “qualified parties”? How did they manage to hold elections for 100 years without “qualified parties”?
The only responsibility of the government, in the 18th and 19th centuries, for election administration, was to set up a polling place and publicize its location. And to count the votes.
Voice/Hand votes early on.
Secret paper ballots later — perhaps NOT so secret — if colored / odd sized party hack ballots used ???
Absentee paper ballots with Civil War — write -ins only ???
More subjects for polisci research ???
What did the 11 States do when *official* primaries started in 1888-1890 ???
Some third parties were a bit large – Populist, Prohibition, etc.
So political parties exploited the Australian ballot to keep competitor parties out?