The U.S. Supreme Court has revived Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections, holding that the candidate has standing to challenge some of Illinois’s election procedures governing vote counting. The Supreme Court held that a candidate for office “has a personal stake in the rules that govern the counting of votes in his election,” and this was sufficient to provide standing to bring suit.
Our firm filed an amicus brief in support of the petitioners on behalf of Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE PAC). The brief was submitted by attorneys at First & Fourteenth, with Chris Murray serving as counsel of record, along with Michael Francisco, Julian Ellis, and James Compton.
The brief argued, in part, that standing to challenge election rules prior to Election Day would practically benefit the judiciary and democratic systems by encouraging suits prior to vote counting instead of challenges on the eve of elections or in the post-election contest period.
The Supreme Court majority in Bost similarly noted that the “democratic consequences can be even more dire if courts intervene only after votes have been counted.” The decision will solidify the ability of candidates to challenge unlawful election rules well in advance of election day.
Read Full Brief Here: Brief of Amici Curiae Restoring Integrity and Trust In Elections and Rite Pac