Attorneys for Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch conceded the law may amount to a political “dirty trick” by Democrats, by changing election rules in the middle of an ongoing election cycle. But they argued lawmakers have the absolute right to make changes to laws regulating ballot access at just about any time, and courts have no authority to question lawmakers’ decisions.

A greater share of Chicago area Republicans cast their ballots by mail in March compared to the 2022 primary, but they were still vastly outpaced by Democrats in using a voting system that has become increasingly popular.