Candidate for Congress
(Rock Island, IL) - Congressional Candidate Eric Reyes issued the following statement
regarding the current attempt by supporters of millionaire candidate Cheri Bustos to
keep Independent Candidates off the ballot.
"On July 23, 2012 the Illinois State Board of Elections sustained the objections to
our nominating papers due to the number of signatures being less than the 5,000
required by law. This was not a surprise, in fact it was expected. The board is
not empowered to decide Constitutional questions. It was our contention then,
and now, that our petition met the requirements set forth by Article 3, Section 3 of
the Illinois Constitution, which states in its entirety, "All elections shall be free
and equal." It is also our contention that the signature requirements placed on
independent candidates and the actual or perceived restrictions placed on
circulators of independent candidate petitions and those who would sign them,
taken as a whole, are violative of those rights guaranteed by the Illinois and
United States Constitutions. As such, on July 27, 2012 we ?led a Petition For
Judicial Review with the Sangamon County Circuit Court (Case No. 12 MR 633
attached below) asking the court to reverse the Board ?nding that the nomination
papers are not valid, order them to be determined valid, and that the name Eric
Reyes be printed on the ballot for the November 6, 2012 election, and order that
any disparity in signature requirements, and rules regarding circulators or
signors, be immediately removed from the electoral code and the changes made
retroactively effective to the day the primary was held. Supporters of the
millionaire candidate running on the democratic ticket will now continue to spend
tens of thousands of dollars of private money and thousands of dollars of our
taxpayers' money in a shameful attempt to disenfranchise voters and keep Eric
Reyes off the ballot."
Eric Reyes is a full-time attorney and father from Rock Island, IL. The only lifelong
resident of the district in this election, Reyes graduated from Rock Island High School,
Augustana College, and Northern Illinois University College of Law. He is also a former
Assistant States Attorney.
For more information on Eric Reyes or his campaign, please visit his website:
www.EricReyes.us. ###
(Rock Island, IL) - Congressional Candidate Eric Reyes issued the following statement
regarding the current attempt by supporters of millionaire candidate Cheri Bustos to
keep Independent Candidates off the ballot.
"On July 23, 2012 the Illinois State Board of Elections sustained the objections to
our nominating papers due to the number of signatures being less than the 5,000
required by law. This was not a surprise, in fact it was expected. The board is
not empowered to decide Constitutional questions. It was our contention then,
and now, that our petition met the requirements set forth by Article 3, Section 3 of
the Illinois Constitution, which states in its entirety, "All elections shall be free
and equal." It is also our contention that the signature requirements placed on
independent candidates and the actual or perceived restrictions placed on
circulators of independent candidate petitions and those who would sign them,
taken as a whole, are violative of those rights guaranteed by the Illinois and
United States Constitutions. As such, on July 27, 2012 we ?led a Petition For
Judicial Review with the Sangamon County Circuit Court (Case No. 12 MR 633
attached below) asking the court to reverse the Board ?nding that the nomination
papers are not valid, order them to be determined valid, and that the name Eric
Reyes be printed on the ballot for the November 6, 2012 election, and order that
any disparity in signature requirements, and rules regarding circulators or
signors, be immediately removed from the electoral code and the changes made
retroactively effective to the day the primary was held. Supporters of the
millionaire candidate running on the democratic ticket will now continue to spend
tens of thousands of dollars of private money and thousands of dollars of our
taxpayers' money in a shameful attempt to disenfranchise voters and keep Eric
Reyes off the ballot."
Eric Reyes is a full-time attorney and father from Rock Island, IL. The only lifelong
resident of the district in this election, Reyes graduated from Rock Island High School,
Augustana College, and Northern Illinois University College of Law. He is also a former
Assistant States Attorney.
For more information on Eric Reyes or his campaign, please visit his website:
www.EricReyes.us. ###
