Judge Blocks Illinois Law That Changed Ballot Access Rules After Primary

An Illinois judge on Wednesday halted a newly enacted state election law that prevents candidates from gaining access to a major party ballot through an alternative “slating” option. Prior to the change, a local committee for a political party could nominate, or “slate,” a candidate to a general election ballot even if no member of that party filed nominating petitions for the primary, so long as the candidate gathered the required number of petition signatures. Under the new law, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on May 3—after the Illinois primary has passed, a party can no longer appoint candidates who didn’t run in the party’s primary to fill general election ballot spots....