Gill files legal challenge over ballot signature requirement

Posted on August 4, 2016

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Congressional candidate David Gill is going to court in hopes of getting on the ballot.

The Illinois State Board of Elections has ruled the Bloomington physician fell short of the nearly 10,754 needed to run as an independent. More than 2,000 of the signatures he turned in were ruled invalid.

Gill has filed a lawsuit in which he says the signature requirements to run as an independent are “severe and overly burdensome.” Independent candidates have to get nearly 15 times the number of signatures that a Democrat or Republican has to get.

Gill ran for Congress as a Democrat several times before and is seeking to challenge 13th District U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, in November. Gill narrowly lost to Davis in 2012.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…