CHICAGO, July 28 (UPI) -- Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader has filed a lawsuit challenging Illinois' election laws in a bid to get on the state's November ballot.
Nader says in his suit filed Tuesday the state Board of Elections imposes an unnecessarily early deadline for nominating petitions and says a requirement that independent candidates collect 25,000 valid signatures is unfairly burdensome. Nader was expected to file a similar lawsuit in Michigan as early as Wednesday, the Chicago Sun-Times said.
The Illinois Democratic Party is challenging about 19,000 of the 33,000 signatures on Nader's petitions.
Nader's name will not appear on the ballot if the number of valid signatures falls below 25,000. In 2000, Nader filed a successful lawsuit to stay on the Illinois presidential ballot after his name had been stricken.
Nader appeared on ballots in 43 of the 50 states four years ago.
