STATEMENT from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE

CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977

Illinois Policy Institute: Court decision will give voters greater choice this election

Springfield, Ill. (June 5, 2024) – Today, the Illinois Circuit Court in Sangamon County granted a permanent injunction with respect to Senate Bill 2412, which was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on May 3 and immediately removed the option for political parties to slate candidates when primary nominations go unfilled. The law gave incumbent lawmakers in 78 legislative districts an advantage this election season.

The injunction blocked the law for potential candidates who were working to be slated for the Nov. 5 election and had the rules changed in the middle of an election cycle. Voters should expect to see more choices on their ballots.

Research from the Illinois Policy Institute showed contested elections were linked to higher voter turnout and participation. Between 2012 and 2020, voter participation was on average 7 percentage points lower in Illinois House districts that only had one candidate on the ballot.

Matt Paprocki, president and CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, offered the following statement: 

“Today’s ruling is good news for democracy, restoring competitive elections and providing voters choice at the ballot box.

“Removing the slating process was ultimately about giving a political advantage to sitting lawmakers. That is not the aim of elections. Illinoisans should be concerned over one party’s willingness to erode healthy competition in favor of long-lasting political power.

“It’s already more difficult to get on the ballot in Illinois than in most other states. We didn’t need additional hurdles or rules stifling choice – especially in the middle of an election cycle. Ultimately voters deserve more choices, not fewer.”

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