From Capparelli:
PETITION REQUIREMENT IS BIASED AND UNECESSARY
Chicago, IL — Illinois has one of the most demanding requirements of all States, if not the most demanding requirements, for political candidates to ingress onto the ballot for election to office.
A minimum of 5,000 qualified signatures and a maximum of 10,000 qualified signatures are required for statewide political candidates to file for political office elections; including the office of United States Senator.
This is in contrast to some other States were a simple filing fee or a fee with a reasonable number of signatures may be required to gain entry onto a ballot.
R. Cary Capparelli, Republican candidate for United States Senator from Illinois called the requirement ‘excessive and ridiculous’.
“This requirement was designed by Democrats to appease Democrats who have large political patronage armies to circulate petitions,” said Capparelli.
He added, “It also adheres to wealthy candidates who are willing to pay their way onto the ballot by hiring professional circulators opposed to those who have belief and trust in their chosen candidate.”
Some sources have mentioned multiple candidates, both Democrat and Republican, are paying circulators up to ten dollars ($10) per signature including Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Capparelli added his team has surpassed the half-way point in gaining signatures with six weeks remaining before filing opens.
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I served with Cary’s father State Rep. Ralph Capparelli. We connected at my first Revenue Committee meeting on a bill to allow challenges of state assessment multipliers.
