Change State election laws?

At least one State election law needs changing. This morning's article in the Northwest Herald calls attention to it. That is the law about the requirement to be a designated political party member to sign a petition for a candidate.

The article was titled "Farnick off ballot" and appeared on Page 3A.

The Objector to the petitions of Jonathan Farnick also objected to the petitions of Bill Scheurer, who is the Green Party candidate for Congress in the Illinois 8th District, currently held by Melissa Bean. The objection apparently claims that Scheurer is not a member of the Green Party. He is.

When I first read the language on the petition form on the website of the Illinois State Elections Board, I immediately noticed a problem. The first line reads, "We, the undersigned, members of and affiliated with the ________ Party, in the ______ of ______ in the County of _______, and State of Illinois do hereby petition that the following named person or persons shall be a candidate of the _____ Party for the nomination/election for the office or offices hereinafter specified to be voted for at the Primary Election to be held on ________________ (date of election)."

I was advised that a person wishing to sign my petition could do so by considering himself a member of the Green Party at the moment of his signing, for the purpose of signing. That "consideration" made him eligible to sign the petition. He didn't have to raise his right hand and swear that he was a member, and he wouldn't have to continue as a Green Party member beyond the signing. However, by signing my petition as the Green Party candidate for Sheriff of McHenry County, the signer would be prohibited from signing a petition for any candidate not in the Green Party.

Now, doesn't this sound just like "Illinois politics"?

The language should be changed to read, "We, the undersigned, being registered voters in the ______ of ______ in the County of _______, and State of Illinois do hereby petition that the following named person or persons shall be a candidate(s) of the _____ Party for the nomination/election for the office or offices hereinafter specified to be voted for at the Primary Election to be held on ________________ (date of election)."

A signer should be allowed to sign my petition for Sheriff and then turn around and sign Jack Franks' petition for the Illinois House seat or Mike Tryon's petition for his Illinois House seat. Why shouldn't a person be allowed to sign for the person of his choice, regardless of party???