Gay-marriage foes' petitions falling short on valid signatures

Gay-marriage foes' petitions falling short on valid signatures
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
By Deanna Belland
Associated Press
Published July 4, 2006

An early review shows gay marriage opponents don't have enough valid signatures to get a measure on the November ballot, but that doesn't mean it can't still make it, a state Board of Elections spokesman said Monday.

A check of 64,000 signatures--a 19 percent sample of more than 330,000 submitted--did not find enough registered voters to put a measure on the ballot that would ask voters if the state should amend its constitution to ban same-sex marriage, elections board spokesman Dan White said.

The requirement is that more than 95 percent of the sample's signatures be valid, and gay marriage opponents had 91 percent, White said. It was the board's second check of a sample of signatures.

Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, a conservative group pushing to get the gay marriage advisory referendum on the state ballot, said they would challenge the review's findings. He said they knew it would be close, and he said he believes gay marriage opponents will prevail in the end.

"It's far from over," LaBarbera said.

Opponents of the measure also are challenging signatures in an effort to keep it off the ballot.

The elections board meets Wednesday.