Election ruling appeal case in Sangamon County not likely to happen soon

SPRINGFIELD — Two women with links to the Jeanne Ives campaign just won’t give up on tossing alternative choices off the ballot in November’s general election.

Frances Bixler and Mary Perkins are trying to contest that a Libertarian candidate running for Congress collected signatures from registered Democrats and Republicans. Their contest states that this should not be allowed.

However, at the August 21 meeting of the Illinois State Board of Elections ballot certification meeting, the board did not agree with those arguments. Board of Elections legal counsel Marni Malowitz did stipulate that the basis of the Bixler and Perkins arguments are on an election states that was repealed in 1975.

Bill Redpath is the Libertarian candidate for Congress in the Sixth Congressional District. He is also a former two-term chairman of the Libertarian National Committee.

The aftermath of the Illinois Board of Elections decision

Bixler, Perkins, and legal counsel Jeffrey Meyer were not happy with the decision, considering their case had no validity. On August 26, the objectors and Meyer would file a request for judicial review in Sangamon County.

Legal counsel for the State Board of Elections is Kristina Dion.

A preliminary hearing on September 9 would result in a delay. Moreover, this was simply procedural as Redpath was attempting to file an entry of appearance.

Court records shared by Ballot Access News would reveal that Judge Adam Giganti found in the Board of Elections’ and Redpath’s favor on September 11.

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However, Bixler, Perkins, and Meyer are pressing this as an appeal before the Fourth Appellate Judicial District. A filing dated September 18 reports a notice of appeal. Additionally, later entries reveal a case number for the appeals court (4-20-0458).

This appeal is non-accelerating. A non-accelerating appeal means that plaintiffs are not in a hurry for the case to appear before the appellate court. The most recent Sangamon County docket entry on September 23 states deadlines for reporting proceedings and the record of appeal. However, both dates are well past the November 3 general election.

In the meantime, Redpath will still be able to continue his campaign. Could the appeal invalidate any votes he receives as a result? Some legal experts would state no to this question, but litigating election laws in Illinois are often hard to gauge.

Redpath is running against Democratic incumbent Sean Casten and Republican Ives.

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For more local and Illinois state news, follow Jake Leonard @JakeLeonardWPMD, Ben Cox @Cox4Liberty, and Heartland Newsfeed @HLNF_Bulletin on Twitter.

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