On November 9, a lower state court in Illinois construed state election law to mean that homeless people cannot run for public office. Fore v Village of Oak Park Electoral Board, 09-coel-0029, Cook County. The homeless candidate, Daniel Fore, is appealing. The lower court said the declaration of candidacy requires a fixed residence address.

If the State Appeals Court and the Illinois Supreme Court uphold this construction of state law, then the candidate will probably file a federal lawsuit, charging the state law violates the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court many decades ago invalidated property requirements for candidates to run for public office.

The Illinois House Election & Campaign Reform Committee holds a hearing on Tuesday, March 10, at 4 p.m., on two bills that would drastically improve ballot access for minor party and independent candidates. The bills are HB 1012 and HB 2620. Both bills cut the number of signatures.

The hearing will be in the Capitol Building, room 122B.

Both bills reduce the number of signatures for minor party and independent candidates, by keying their requirements to the number of signatures now required for candidates getting on a primary ballot. HB 1012, by Rep. Mike Boland, says the general election petitions should be twice as many signatures as the number now required for primary candidates in the qualified party with the lowest primary petition requirements. HB 2620, by Rep. William Black, says the general election petitions should be equal to the primary petitions of the particular qualified party that has the highest primary requirements.

In Illinois, the number of signatures for a candidate in a primary election varies from qualified party to qualified party, which is why these bills sound so complicated.

On March 9, the U.S. Supreme Court refused Arizona’s request to hear Brewer v Nader. This means last year’s 9th circuit decision, won by Ralph Nader, is safe. The 9th circuit had struck down Arizona’s early June petition deadline for independent candidates. The 9th circuit had also struck down Arizona’s ban on out-of-state circulators.