Democracy — well, at least full ballot access — may come to Illinois

Sweet Christmas in September! Rich Miller tells us that a U.S. Court has ruled that Illinois’ restrictive ballot access rules are unconstitutional:

In combination, the ballot access requirements for independent legislative candidates in Illinois—the early filing deadline, the 10% signature requirement, and the additional statutory restriction that disqualifies anyone who signs an independent candidate’s nominating petition from voting in the primary—operate to unconstitutionally burden the freedom of political association guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Ballot access barriers this high—they are the most restrictive in the nation and have effectively eliminated independent legislative candidacies from the Illinois political scene for a quarter of a century—are not sustainable based on the state’s asserted interest in deterring party splintering, factionalism, and frivolous candidacies.

Damn, damn, damn.

How does this decidion affect third-party candidates? How does it affect Jeff Trigg? Does he suddenly have the right to be on the ballot as an independent candidate for governor?

Assuming there isn’t a successful appeal, the 2008 election just might be one in which voters have real choices rather than one or other faction within the Combine.

Illinois,ballot access,third parties