Action Alert!
Newly enacted SB 2412 (which, upon the Governor's signature, became Public Act 103-0586)
Please contact your State Representatives to voice your concern about this law.
May 3, 2024– Under this newly enacted law, a political party which did not have any candidates run in the Primary is not able to nominate a candidate for the General Election. Even apart from whether this is good policy, this law is to be effective immediately and would therefor change the election rules in the middle of the election cycle this year.
Further, the bill was passed in 2 days and then signed quickly, preventing any careful consideration of the provisions and preventing the public from providing any input.
Another provision of this law changes the filing deadlines for candidates in the primary to earlier filing deadlines: between 120 and 127 days prior to the primary for municipal elections (instead of between 92-99 days); and between 134 to 141 days prior to the even year primaries for other elections (instead of between 106 to 113 days). One assumes, though it is not clear, this change is to give election authorities more time to consider challenges to candidate filings. There have been issues with printing ballots and conducting early voting here in Cook County because of delays caused by challenges to candidate filings.
Here is the link to the law.
In the May 17, 2024, issue of the Sun-Times, Becky Simon's letter to the editor was published which decries this new law.
Becky ends by recommending voters consider letting their Springfield representatives know how they feel about the law. Read the full letter here.
Please contact your State Representatives to voice your concern about this law.