Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) has filed a federal lawsuit against the Illinois State Board of Elections, alleging that the state’s election laws unconstitutionally restrict voters’ ballot access rights. Sigcho-Lopez was removed from the November ballot in the race for the open 4th Congressional District seat after the state’s election authority ruled he did not gather the minimum number of signatures required to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate.

Election Laws Challenged

Illinois laws require independent candidates to gather signatures of anywhere between 5-8 percent of the number of voters who participated in the last election in the district. In the 4th Congressional District, independents had to collect at least 10,816 petition signatures – more than 15 times the 697 needed for Democratic Party candidates. Sigcho-Lopez’s lawsuit argues that the state’s requirements for independent and new party candidates deny him and voters ballot-access rights granted by the First and 14th amendments.

Jose Guerra, a Chicago resident and a voter in the 4th Congressional District who backs Sigcho-Lopez, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The lawsuit also says the state’s laws benefit major party candidates by requiring them to collect fewer signatures than independents.

Allegations of Coordinated Effort

Sigcho-Lopez and another independent candidate, Mayra Macias, have slammed the process as part of a coordinated effort by Democratic candidate Patty Garcia and U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who are not related. Chuy Garcia suddenly dropped his reelection campaign last year in a move that gave Patty Garcia, his former chief of staff, a head start on filing petitions and potentially a clear path to Congress.

Both Patty Garcia and Chuy Garcia have previously refuted the allegations. They did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Sigcho-Lopez said his lawsuit is aimed “to make sure these appointments or shenanigans don’t take away the will of the people” in the future.

Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.