Source: http://openjurist.org/682/f2d/93/lynch-v-illinois-state-board-of-elections-m
Timestamp: 2017-04-24 21:53:48
Document Index: 543017043

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3', '§ 1004', '§ 2', '§ 10', '§ 96', '§ 25']

682 F2d 93 Lynch v. Illinois State Board of Elections M | OpenJurist
682 F. 2d 93 - Lynch v. Illinois State Board of Elections M HomeFederal Reporter, Second Series 682 F.2d.
682 F2d 93 Lynch v. Illinois State Board of Elections M 682 F.2d 93
Ulmer D. LYNCH, Reverend Thomas Lee, and Michael Davis,individually and as citizens of the United Statesand residents and voters of the 17thWard of the City of Chicago,Plaintiffs-Appellees,v.ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, and Jane M. Byrne,individually and as Mayor of the City of Chicago,and the City Clerk of the City ofChicago, Defendants-Appellants.
Nos. 82-1341, 82-1515.
Argued May 28, 1982.Decided July 6, 1982.
Defendants appeal from a decision of the district court holding unconstitutional the application of Ill.Rev.Stat. ch. 24, § 3-2-7 (1980), which authorized the Mayor of the City of Chicago to fill an aldermanic vacancy by appointment. In view of the Supreme Court's recent decision in Rodriguez v. Popular Democratic Party, --- U.S. ----, 102 S.Ct. 2194, 72 L.Ed.2d 628 (1982), we reverse.
Addressing that constitutional challenge, the Court noted that no provision of the Constitution expressly mandates the procedures a state must follow in filling vacancies in its legislature, and that "the right to vote, per se, is not a constitutionally protected right." At ----, 102 S.Ct. at 2199, quoting San Antonio School District v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 1, 35 n.78, 93 S.Ct. 1278, 1298 n.78, 36 L.Ed.2d 16 (1973). Moreover, the Court reiterated that the Constitution does not compel "a fixed method of choosing state or local officers or representatives." --- U.S. at ----, 102 S.Ct. at 2199. See also Sailors v. Board of Education, 387 U.S. 105, 87 S.Ct. 1549, 18 L.Ed.2d 650 (1967) (appointment of county school board members); Fortson v. Morris, 385 U.S. 231, 87 S.Ct. 446, 17 L.Ed.2d 330 (1966) (legislature elects governor where no candidate receives majority vote in election). Provided the statute at issue does not restrict access to the electoral process or discriminate among classes of voters or political parties, the method chosen by the state legislature for filling vacancies is entitled to substantial deference.2 --- U.S. at ----, ----, 102 S.Ct. at 2200, 2201.
The Rodriguez Court relied on its decision in Valenti v. Rockefeller, 393 U.S. 405, 89 S.Ct. 689, 21 L.Ed.2d 635 (1969), aff'g, 292 F.Supp. 851 (S.D.N.Y.1968) (three-judge district court), wherein it upheld the authority of the Governor of New York to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate by appointment. In Valenti, the appointee would have held office for over twenty-nine months because the statute at issue required Senatorial vacancy elections to be held at the November election in even-numbered years. 292 F.Supp. at 854-55. The three-judge district court discerned at least three legitimate state interests which might reasonably be furthered by that statute: to preserve local elections (held in odd-numbered years) from the "more party-oriented political currents generated by statewide or national contests"; to ease the financial burden of campaigning in an off-year; and to spare the state the expense and inconvenience of conducting a special election. Id. at 859-60. In conclusion the court viewed the Seventeenth Amendment vacancy provision3 as granting to the state legislatures "an area of discretion." Id. at 860.
--- U.S. at ----, 102 S.Ct. at 2201 (footnote citation omitted). See also Brennan v. Haines, 455 F.2d 943 (3rd Cir. 1971), cert. denied, 408 U.S. 924, 92 S.Ct. 2495, 33 L.Ed.2d 335 (1972); Kaelin v. Warden, 334 F.Supp. 602 (E.D.Pa.1971) (three-judge district court).
Rodriguez and Valenti clearly show that section 3-2-7 is not constitutionally infirm. Both decisions sustain the authority to fill vacancies in elective offices by appointment, even though the appointee will hold office for the duration of the term. Here, as in Valenti, that authority is vested in the executive. While the Court in Rodriguez suggested that appointment by the political party of the predecessor might offer better continuity of party representation than would appointment by the executive, it stressed that, "(a) bsent some clear constitutional limitation," a state is "free to structure its political system to meet its 'special concerns and political circumstances.' "4 --- U.S. at ---- & n.12, 102 S.Ct. at 2202 & n.12. In any event, section 3-2-7 does not grant the mayor unfettered power since all appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the corporate authorities. Finally, Valenti indicates that the vacancy provision is not rendered unconstitutional by the fact that five intervening elections will take place but are by statute unavailable to fill the aldermanic vacancy, so long as legitimate interests rationally support the scheme.
Unlike the district court, we do not minimize the importance of the state and municipal interests offered in support of section 3-2-7. Section 3-2-7 is an integral part of Illinois' new consolidated election scheme, which seeks to lessen voter confusion, increase voter participation, reduce election costs,5 and provide generally for uniformity in the conduct and administration of elections. Standardization of election dates helps eliminate surprise and confusion among potential candidates and thereby lowers some of the inherent barriers to effective ballot access. It also imposes a reasonable limit on the number of times voters may be called to the polls, and creates an opportunity for more widespread voter attention by establishing election dates which are convenient and on which the electorate will consider other important issues and fill other offices. Korte-Reinheimer v. City Council of Palos Hills, 94 Ill.App.3d 219, 226, 49 Ill.Dec. 763, 767, 418 N.E.2d 783, 787 (1st Dist. 1981). The Illinois legislature has specifically adopted the twenty-eight month cut-off in other provisions governing vacancies in public office. See, e.g., Ill.Rev.Stat. ch. 81, § 1004-7 (park district trustees); ch. 105, § 2-25 (library district trustees); ch. 122, §§ 10-10, 103-7 (school board and community college board members); ch. 139, § 96 (township officers). See also ch. 46, § 25-6(g) (state senators), cited in Rodriguez, --- U.S. at ---- n.4, 102 S.Ct. at 2198 n.4. That limitation represents a considered legislative judgment as to the amount of time remaining in a term that would justify disruption of the consolidated election schedule. See Weisberg v. Byrne, 92 Ill.App.3d 780, 784, 48 Ill.Dec. 267, 271, 416 N.E.2d 298, 302 (1st Dist. 1981) (section 3-2-7).
The Court found that the statute presented no equal protection problems, at ---- & n.10, 102 S.Ct. at 2200 & n.10, and plaintiffs here do not challenge section 3-2-7 on that ground