Illinois Court Ruling on Candidate Selection
- Illinois Supreme Court upholds unconstitutionality of law on candidate selection.
- The law banned political parties from choosing candidates for the General Assembly without a primary election.
- Ruling highlights the importance of fair candidate selection processes.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court has upheld a lower court's decision that invalidated a law preventing political parties from selecting candidates for the General Assembly when no one ran in the primary. The court's ruling, announced on Friday, was not based on the case's merits due to the recusal of two justices, resulting in an inability to achieve the four votes necessary for a valid opinion. The controversial law, passed by a Democratic majority and signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker in May, aimed to eliminate the traditional practice of parties "slating" candidates. It was designed to bolster Democratic chances in the upcoming November elections by restricting Republicans from drafting candidates when no one appeared on the primary ballot. Candidates could still be nominated if they gathered the required petition signatures by a June 3 deadline. In June, a Sangamon County judge ruled that the law unconstitutionally infringed on the right to vote, which includes the ability to stand as a candidate. Despite the law's invalidation, the Illinois State Board of Elections continued to accept petition signatures and assess candidate eligibility for the ballot. The recusal of Justices P. Scott Neville and Joy V. Cunningham, both Democrats, left the court divided. Court spokesperson Christopher Bonjean noted that justices are not obligated to disclose their reasons for recusal. The court's ruling carries the same weight as an affirmation of the lower court's decision but does not set a precedent for future cases.