Two petitioning candidates for the U.S. House in Illinois will probably file a federal lawsuit soon. It will allege that because Illinois only requires 5,000 signatures (exactly) in years after redistricting, therefore there is no state interest in requiring between 9,000 and 15,000 in all other election years.

Illinois is the only state that has ever had a fixed petition requirement for petitioning candidates for U.S. House in certain years (years such as 1982, 1992, 2002, 2012), and a much higher requirement in all other election years (5% of the last vote cast). Therefore, there are no precedents on-point.

Libertarian nominee Dan Druck collected 7,153 signatures this year, and independent Allan Stevo collected approximately 7,100. Both were challenged on the last day for challenges. The law required Druck to collect 9,858 valid signatures, and Stevo needed 10,111. The requirements are considerably higher in mid-term years.

New York doesn’t permit independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, to start circulating petitions until July 7. Ralph Nader’s petition in New York will carry the ballot label “Populist”. The logo will be a buffalo.

Today was the last day for anyone in Illinois to file an objection to a petition filed by an independent candidate, or the petition of a previously unqualified or new party. No one challenged any of the four petitions turned in for president. Those petitions were for the Libertarian, Constitution and New Parties, and Ralph Nader as an independent.

The Libertarian and Constitution Parties also have a candidate for U.S. Senate listed on their petitions. The Constitution statewide petition only has 300 signatures on it. However, under Illinois rules, that is enough, given that no one challenged.

The New Party turned in a petition form that had the top part filled out correctly, listing John Joseph Polachek as its presidential candidate. It listed no one for vice-president and no one for U.S. Senate, and has zero signatures. But because no one challenged, it is also now valid. Illinois law allows substitution, so if John Joseph Polachek does not wish to actually run for president, he and the substitution committee are free to choose someone else for president, and anyone they wish for vice-president.

The two Libertarian candidates for U.S. House were challenged, as was independent U.S. House candidate Allan Stevo.