CHICAGO (AP) - Every Illinois voter must be notified at the polls next month of misleading language on the ballot, a judge ruled Friday.
Cook County Circuit Judge Nathaniel Howse Jr. ordered state election officials to print notices directing voters to disregard the false information, which deals with a ballot question on whether Illinois should hold a constitutional convention.
Howse said that a notice might not be the best solution, but that it was the only one available in time for the Nov. 4 election and early voting. Even though Howse is a Cook County judge, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has said his decision is binding statewide.
"I wish there was something perfect we could do. Given the timing at hand, I don't think that's a viable option," Howse said.
Nearly 3 million people voted in Illinois in the 2008 primary election, and officials predict record turnout for an election featuring Democratic candidate Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois. Both sides have scurried to figure out how to fix the ballot after a Howse on Wednesday deemed some of its wording misleading and inaccurate.
The ballots state inaccurately that not voting on the referendum amounts to a "no" vote. They also recount that the last constitutional convention referendum, in 1988, failed. Howse found the inclusion of that information inappropriate.
The state constitution requires voters to consider the convention question every 20 years. |