The “binder check” process for the Illinois Libertarian Party statewide challenge has been finished for almost a week, and the results are that the Libertarian Party has approximately 33,000 valid signatures. 25,000 are needed. Nevertheless, the Illinois Republican Party has hired college students to ring the doorbells of voters who signed the petition, asking if the voter “really” signed the petition. The challengers to the petition are now trying to invalidate all sheets circulated by certain petitioners.

In 1998, the “binder check” process also resulted in a finding that the Libertarian Party statewide petition had enough valid signatures, yet the party was still kept off the ballot when, afterwards, the State Board of Elections eliminated all the sheets circulated by certain petitioners.

It is possible evidence of this activity will be brought into the pending Illinois Green Party ballot access case, which will be heard August 13.

On July 18, the Third Circuit expedited Coffelt v Fawkes, 14-3280. Two of the three briefs have now been filed. The issue is whether members of qualified parties can use the independent candidate procedure. Virgin Islands elects Governor and Lieutenant Governor on a joint ticket. Independent gubernatorial candidate Soraya Coffelt is an independent, but her Lieutenant Governor running mate, John Canegata, is a registered Republican. The lower court kept the ticket off the ballot.