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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=christina@freeandequal.org href="mailto:christina@freeandequal.org">The
Free and Equal Elections Foundation</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=ewj@pigs.ag href="mailto:ewj@pigs.ag">ewj@pigs.ag</A>
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<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 23, 2011 4:26 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Illinois Representative Jim Watson introduces electoral
reform bill</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV
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RELEASE</STRONG><BR>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE </DIV><BR clear=all><BR>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-FAMILY: Arial Black, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Illinois
Representative Jim Watson introduces electoral reform bill</P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">CHICAGO
(Feb. 21) – Today, State Representative Jim Watson (R-97, Jacksonville)
introduced <A
href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=jv8dw4cab&et=1104621083516&s=1373&e=001gbIoIBYzg0v-dRkYoaKv7pj10L0_VnxUrPSdTUo6AxnjfEXSkBQYc1cGadm5o4jL_C7xe7CbKgUctCcMPlV_WKSxPuWmZ4hP0XzfBgtEPGuI9MsJoUOHVVthNoLjmKwU2Vb8nQONHjaBD8YmUgOR3onA86Q34Hq6PWwGpUWjSU6pIhKy7Qex_5mTytjmjLyQRKzOtPMDu-0NuFaoUpYrw-jUClJqbdPzmcMATqmJpbKQ2KRvRTctlHLprPzXQ2712vQW4flqJAikh5gn-trWGqSV18WIDHcX7e3Rz90Aij1f-XCvCnphckiJ4BhIFC8r">House
Bill 2854</A>, a ballot access reform bill for Illinois elections. HB2854,
originally proposed by the Free & Equal Elections Foundation, would allow
candidates for public office an alternative to Illinois' unequal and burdensome
signature requirements by paying a filing fee in its place.</P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The
bill would allow candidates to pay a filing fee equal to 1% of the annual salary
of the office sought in lieu of gathering signatures. Illinois requirements for
independent candidates are in many cases a great deal more restrictive than they
are for political party candidates, effectively preventing independents from
getting on the ballot. HB2854 would make the requirements equal for independents
and recognized party candidates, so that Illinois voters have a choice.</P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><A
href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=jv8dw4cab&et=1104621083516&s=1373&e=001gbIoIBYzg0vyZAuWEtLdQGeiQP9plqB_mf0GXwPIJ1NfDDA8oYmz9AXp5GdMX0UREueYvA80ot44YkuUMf5U5x_glVv7t24jQ3nYe51Gk9_6EtgyFY3vWpnw6ctcksez2nCPa14-3vcnSPO4NNeIgX3E_qo6_-YmDa0hPBH5PMVXUQGbNL74UueoQ7CWS0ff_UtYPtiS60AGcyuStpvWZA==">According
to ballot access expert Richard Winger</A>, if the bill were to pass, Illinois
would join Louisiana, Florida, and Oklahoma in allowing certain candidates to
pay a filing fee in lieu of the petition requirement.</P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">"Currently,
Illinois' ballot access laws disadvantage independent candidates by requiring
them to obtain hundreds and even tens of thousands more signatures than their
Republican and Democratic counterparts," said Christina Tobin, founder and chair
of the Free & Equal Elections Foundation. "A filing fee option will put
independent candidates on a more equal footing."</P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The
filing fee option would also save the state money, by bringing in additional
revenue through the filing fees, in addition to reducing the amount of time the
state has to pay employees to verify signatures. According to Ms. Tobin, "the
filing fee option will help Illinois in this time of fiscal crisis, while also
opening up the electoral process to more choices and new ideas, producing more
competitive elections and better government."</P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">###</P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><A
href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=jv8dw4cab&et=1104621083516&s=1373&e=001gbIoIBYzg0v-B92e0OUyqj-qVhso6IA90zILURz-LZlUXH2sQFItRg4stA-CoK6znymU3TGH2OEhlPZNnFssZ4iYNoR47NdaufyZn542jjkiVTkTvmZIpg==">Free
& Equal</A> is a nonpartisan, non-profit public-policy advocacy organization
dedicated to election reform and improving ballot access laws in the United
States. </P></DIV><BR>
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