Independent Map Amendment Passes Petition Test at Board of Elections

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A state review of Independent Map Amendment petitions indicates the submitted petitions likely contain more than the minimum 290,216 valid signatures of registered voters required to place the proposed redistricting reform constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

On Monday, the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) staff completed the signature verification examination of a random sample of Independent Map Amendment petition signatures, and the ISBE review projected that nearly 73 percent of the 563,974 petition signatures appear to be genuine and match the signature of a registered voter living at the address printed on the petition. The staff checked 28,199 signatures selected at random by computerized sampling of 5 percent of petition signatures.

The sampling indicates a minimum of 382,355 and a maximum of 395,021 valid signatures were submitted to the state – well in excess of the 290,216 signatures required by law to place the amendment on the ballot.

"The citizens of Illinois have signaled very clearly with their signatures that they want legislative redistricting reform on the November ballot," said Dennis FitzSimons, Chair of Independent Maps. "The statewide petition collection was a massive undertaking, and its success was made possible by the dedication of countless volunteers and field staff. The huge number of petition signatures is yet another sign of the strong statewide support for an independent, transparent, and impartial process for drawing state legislative maps.

"Now that the petition review process is complete, we can focus on fighting the lawsuit filed by entrenched political interests looking to deny citizens the chance to change the system," FitzSimons said. "We will aggressively defend the constitutionality and fairness of the Independent Map Amendment, and we are determined to give voters that choice in November."

Independent Maps staffers and volunteers were also impressed by the efficiency and professionalism of the Board of Elections employees.

"In addition to our thousands of petition circulators and volunteers, we want to thank the Illinois State Board of Elections for their hard work," said Dave Mellet, Campaign Manager of Independent Maps. "Their review process was transparent, efficient, and professional. Illinoisans are fortunate to have such a fine group working on their behalf."

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SOURCE Independent Maps

Related Links

http://www.mapamendment.org