On April 17, U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer held a hearing in Libertarian Party of Illinois v Pritzker, n.d., 1:20cv-2112.  This is the case in which the Illinois Libertarian and Green Parties asked for ballot access relief, due to the health crisis.

The judge orally seemed inclined to grant relief.  She seems to be thinking of putting the Libertarian and the Green Party statewide slates on the ballot automatically, since they have been on in recent years and achieved respectable votes.  She wants the plaintiffs to come up with a objective standards for all independent candidates for all office, and also for minor parties that may wish to be on this year, but which haven’t been on in Illinois for the last decade or so.  Also she wants an objective standard for Libertarians and Greens for district and local office.  The last time a nationally-organized minor party was on in Illinois for statewide office, other than the Libertarians and Greens, was in 2008 when the Constitution Party was on.  Also in 2018 the Conservative Party was on, but it was really just the vehicle for an independent gubernatorial candidate and no longer exists.

She set a new hearing for Tuesday, April 21, to hear ideas.  Thanks to Bill Redpath for this news.  Judge Pallmeyer is a Clinton appointee and is the chief judge of the Northern District.  She also permitted Kyle Kopitke, an independent presidential candidate, to intervene in the case.