Judge tosses out Illinois ban on drafting legislative candidates as ‘restriction on right to vote’

By JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A judge has rejected a law Illinois Democrats approved last month that prohibited the slating of candidates who weren’t on a party primary ballot. A Sangamon County Circuit judge says the law violates the voting rights of those seeking ballot access. Democrats approved the law mid-election cycle to protect vulnerable legislative Democrats. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called it an ethics reform measure. The judge found it changed the rules mid-stream and unfairly treated some candidates differently. A message seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned from Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who defended the General Assembly and Pritzker in the suit.