Illinois Representative Mike Boland (D-East Moline) has introduced HB 1012, to ease ballot access for independent candidates and for the nominees of unqualified parties. The bill provides that independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, would need twice as many signatures as are now needed for members of qualified parties to get on a primary ballot.

If the bill were passed, the number of signatures for statewide nominees would drop from 25,000 signatures to 10,000 signatures. For district office, the number would also drop substantially. Because the number of signatures to get on a primary ballot for district office varies according to which party is involved, the bill says the independent requirement would be twice as many signatures as are required for the qualified party with the least number of signatures required.