The Illinois Green Party faces the worst “sprint” in the nation in 2020, with one of the largest signature requirements and one of the shortest petitioning periods. This means we need to collect 25,000 valid petitions (50,000 total to survive challenges), in 90 days. To prepare for this huge task, the Illinois Green Party has been preparing for months, has held its nominating vote and convention, secured funding, hired a ballot access coordinator, nominated a US Senate Candidate, and gathered Electoral College Electors to appear on the ballot. Despite the high level of repression, the Illinois Green Party has achieved ballot access in the past and was prepared to do so again.
That said, current circumstances make petitioning extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, for the party and its candidates, as well as make it risky, health-wise, for the petitioners and the potential signers.
As you may know, the Howie Hawkins Campaign has suspended physical petitioning and are seeking other avenues of achieving ballot access across the country. In IL, we are following the lead of the Illinois Green Party, who has asked Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to provide relief from their petitioning requirements due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Sign the petition to let Governor Pritzker know that you want an option on Illinois’ general election ballot. Tell him that this is an unprecedented crisis, and no petitioner’s health should be at risk. Tell the governor that you want him to exercise his legal right to put the Green Party on the ballot today.
Click here to read the Illinois Green Party’s letter to Gov Pritzker.
If you are a registered voter in Illinois, you can download our petition guide, sign the petition, and follow the included instructions to make sure that the Illinois Green Party can successfully collect your signature.
