By AP/KWMU
Springfield, IL – Presidential hopeful Ralph Nader will not be on the ballot in Illinois.
The state's Board of Elections said Thursday he did not submit enough valid signatures. Earlier this week, Nader got the same news from Missouri election officials.
Illinois officials say Nader fell almost 5,000 signatures short of what's needed. His campaign submitted more than 32,000 petitions by the June 21 deadline, but the board determined only 20,182 signatures were valid. The requirement in Illinois is 25,000.
Attorneys for the Nader campaign appeared before a federal judge, seeking an injunction to stop the board from its expected ruling. Nader attorney Dan Johnson-Weinberger argued the state's process for verifying signatures is too stringent.
After hearing arguments from both sides, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said he would rule on the request Monday.