Champaign County Chapter Scrutinizes Signatures On Anti-Gay Petitions To Deny Equal Marriage Rights
More than two dozen activists from the Champaign County Chapter of Equal Marriage Illinois examined hundreds of anti-gay petitions signed by more than five thousand people in the county who hope to amend the state Constitution to deny civil marriage rights to same-sex couples. This was the first of our work sessions.
Armed with laptops and the latest Champaign County voter registration data, the group scrutinized the petitions in seven key areas including verification of voters’ addresses and jurisdiction. Incorrect information was noted and sent to the state office of Fair Illinois for a legal challenge. If enough petitions are found to be invalid, an advisory referendum against same-sex civil marriage will not appear on the ballot in November. The petitions seek to pressure lawmakers to amend the state Constitution to deny marriage rights for same-sex couples. State law already denies this civil right to same-sex couples.
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Photos by Kimberlie Kranich