Judge: Independent congressional candidate can be on ballot

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A federal judge sided with an independent candidate for Congress in Illinois who wants to be on the November ballot despite failing to meet the signature threshold required by law.

U.S. District Court Judge Sue Myerscough granted a request Thursday from David Gill to block Illinois election officials from enforcing the state's signature requirements.

Gill wants to run for the 13th District seat currently held by Republican Rep. Rodney Davis.

Independent candidates need 10,754 signatures to make the ballot while Democrats and Republicans need about 735 signatures. Gill turned in over 11,300 signatures, but fewer than 8,600 were found valid.

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/2bjiky3 ) that Myerscough says Gill's supporters would be "irreparably harmed" if he's not on the ballot.

Illinois' Attorney General's office has not decided whether to appeal.