BREAKING NEWS: Joe Parnarauskis keeps spot on ballot

Josh Birnbaum The Daily Illini Joe Parnarauskis, candidate of the Socialist Equality Party for state Senate from IllinoisÕ 52nd Legislative District, speaks about his status on the November ballot at a press conference on Thursday afternoon in front of the Alma Mater statue in Urbana.

Josh Birnbaum The Daily Illini Joe Parnarauskis, candidate of the Socialist Equality Party for state Senate from IllinoisÕ 52nd Legislative District, speaks about his status on the November ballot at a press conference on Thursday afternoon in front of the Alma Mater statue in Urbana.

By ME Online

Joe Parnarauskis, State Senate candidate for the 52nd District who represents the Socialist Equality Party, announced he is still on the November ballot after a 4-4 split on a State Board of Elections vote on whether to include him.

“This morning the Democratic commissioners of the State Board of Elections failed to get a majority vote to uphold the bad faith objections filed against my petitions,” Parnarauskis said. “The Democrats made a last ditch effort to throw out the signatures of nearly 300 valid voters using the most petty technicality.”

Parnarauskis said that Democrats have done everything in their power to exclude him from the ballot because he is a third party and anti-war candidate. He said this time around, the Democrats claim that because some of Parnarauskis’ nominating petitions are mislabeled, they should be thrown out.